In a Cloudy State of Mind
by gluegirl56
Summary: When Archer finally seem to find friendly allies he greatly accepts their offer to let the crew take some shore leave on their planet if they help them with some calculations. Will Trip, Malcolm, Hoshi and Travis make it back before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**In A Cloudy State Of Mind**

_**Chapter I**_

_Doubts_

**A**nd everything started on a friendly planet called Tenndaria. Shore leave was always very welcomed by the most part of the crew. Jonathan Archer who never truly enjoyed being on a leave made his way slowly to the Shuttlepod. It had been an interesting day but it was enough, he didn't deny having fun on the planet but he didn't feel so comfortable either. Trip for one did not understand his captain and friend, what was the point spending shore leave on the Enterprise when you actually could have a lot of fun down on the planet? He shook his head meeting Malcolm's gaze as Shuttlepod one left the surface. Hoshi and Travis where already at the newly localised bar and he couldn't wait but to go there.Trip turned around to see where Malcolm had gone. Only a couple of meters behind him the Armoury officer walked his eyes locked on a pad.

Trip let out a heavy sigh, "What are you doing? Don't tell me that's a pad because then I..."

He pointed a finger at Malcolm who just chuckled.

"Don't threaten your Armoury officer when he is carrying a phase pistol Commander. We are not finished with our calculations down here you know."

Right, it wasn't only shore leave there was a hatch, Trip rolled his eyes at the thought. Captain Archer and the government of Tenndaria had agreed that the crew could have shore leave on the planet if his best officers could help them with an enemy of theirs. Basically they wanted more of the alloys they already had stored away somewhere and Trip couldn't understand why, some alloys wouldn't help the Tenndarians if the tendencies with their enemies increased. That wasn't the only thing that bothered the Commander, one thing that really got him wonder was why they never mentioned the name of their enemies.

He waited for Malcolm to move up beside him before he went any further.

"There's something strange with this place."

Lt. Reed watched him for a moment.

"Usually I am the one that is called paranoid."

" Nah, just forget it. Come on let's find that bar should we?"

"This one is delicious".

Hoshi said fascinated with the culture of the planet as she smutted on her soft red drink.

"I like this one better."

Travis smirked as the bartender handed him another big bright yellow drink. She laughed at him as she put down her own glass.

"You know Phlox would probably call it unhealthy."

"Well he isn't on shore leave is he?"

He glanced upon the door as some familiar faces entered.

"Ah Lt. Nama, Ensign Carrie."

"So it is here the bridge crew are enjoying themselves?"

"You are right about that!"

Trip shouted through the noise as he and Malcolm popped through the door.

"I wondered when you two should drop in." Hoshi let in.

"Uh Hoshi, why are there only males in here except you?"

Trip asked curiously looking directly at the ensign.

"Oh there are plenty of girls in here."

Travis said chuckling.

"Girls? What are you a gay?"

Nama burst out in laughter then suddenly rose from his chair.

"Ensign Carrie lets go and order something...or maybe not."

He added looking at Travis.

"No, there are plenty of girls in here Trip!"

"How do you know that?

Malcolm gave him an odd look.

"The reason I do know is because I..."

"Go on you..."

rip waved his hand eager to hear him out.

"It's because I scanned them."

"You what?"

Malcolm bit his tongue not to laugh out loud at expression of Trip's face as he pulled out a chair to sit down.

"I think I will need a drink."

"So, T'Pol and Ensign Cutler are doing research at the city hospital".

Travis tried to switch the subject.

"Poor Liz, our Vulcan friend would probably never let her go. Oh maybe her soldier will come to her rescue?"

"The one with a hypospray in his hand?"

"Mmm, you know what?

Trip said cheerfully as their big drinks came in.

"Why don't we take a photo of these and send to him on the ship?"

"You are evil commander."

"Against who Travis? Phlox is probably going on at us for it in weeks!"

"Malcolm's right."

Hoshi added while emptying her bottle.

"Well then I save it for myself."

He said, suddenly snapping a photo of his surprised friends.

Back on the Enterprise Captain Archer sat in his ready room finishing up reports as Phlox entered. He frowned at his hopeless captain.

"Is there something I can do for you? Shore leave would do everyone good captain."

"I am relaxing doctor."

"Really you seem more tense than you have for weeks."

Phlox said glancing at the captain. Archer leaned in on his desk looking up the doctor.

"What do we know about the Tenndarians?"

"Well, they seem quite harmless I spoke to T'Pol earlier about our laboratory research and she didn't mind them."

"If my Vulcan science officer don't seem to mind them I assume they really are harmless." "You could check in on Comdr. Tucker and Lt. Reed perhaps they are of a different opinion." Archer just smiled.

"You could need some food since you obviously have been working hard the whole afternoon."

"I guess I could follow the doctor's orders for once."

Jonathan stood up.

"That might be a good idea captain."

Ensign Jolena Carrie sat on the bench outside the bar waiting for Lieutenant Andy Nama. She closed her eyes for a second enjoying the breeze from the distant water. It was so peaceful down here. She froze as someone suddenly grabbed hold of her hand. Andy placed a finger on her lips.

"Don't do that you are scaring the hell out of me!"

"I am sorry Jolena." He took her other hand and she giggled. Meeting up with some other ensigns and crewmen he turned to look at her meeting her dark brown eyes stunned by her beauty.

"You wouldn't mind doing a little bit of exploration around here would you?"

She gave him a big smile, handing him a scanner.

They reached for the forest stretching down to the lake sharing each others smile unaware of that someone was watching them.


	2. Haunted

**AN: **Hello everyone and thanks for the nice reviews! I have tried to correct the mistakes and I hope that you will understand better now.

And as usual I don't own anything or anyone

So here we go…

**Chapter II**

_H__aunted_

"**W**hat are those lights coming from?" A crewman asked clearly confused trying to orient himself in the fallen dark.

"I don't see any lights?" Nama glanced around watching his surroundings closely.

Carrie bumped into another ensign as she thought about her superior officer.

"Oh Jenny I am sorry."

She put the flashlight under her chin and a made a face. All of the colour present in ensign Carries face drained as she watched her comrade.

"Come on Jolena, don't overdue!" Jenny said.

"Be...hind you." Jolena stammered she pointed a shaky finger at two bright yellow eyes.

"It's probably just a pet or something." Andy said coming up from behind.

"Sir, I don't find this funny anymore." Jolena was still shaky.

"Actually it is becoming late." Jenny admitted looking at Lt. Nama.

He nodded in agreement. "Okay let's go back."

"Sir?" The crewman said with an expression of chock on his face.

"What is it?"

"The compass is spinning."

"Then I suggest you scan for other human biosigns, Commander Tucker and Lt. Reed are probably still in the bar." Nama tried to calm him down.

"We don't know for sure how far away we are, lieutenant." The crewman reasoned.

"What was that?"

"Probably just the wind Jolena."

"I don't suppose those pair of eyes where there before." Jenny piped up from behind.

"Sir! There!"

"What?"

"There is a building straight ahead."

"Our scanners aren't picking up anything." Nama said unbelievingly.

"I know what I see lieutenant." The crewman still pointed in the direction of the complex.

"We really should leave!" Jolena said horrified when a hand with five claws reached out towards one of the crewmen.

_At the bar_

"Wooa! I didn't realise I was so thirsty before." Trip said emptying his fifth dark green drink.

"What I don't understand is why on earth we are on shore leave wearing our uniforms?" Malcolm questioned glancing down on his lieutenant pipes.

"Cause we where working and the captain went away with the Shuttlepod including our civilian clothes." Trip muttered as he rose from his chair.

"Is it time to leave already?" Travis said smiling.

"Mr. Mayweather the clock is 0100 hours." Trip teased in his usual southern accent.

"Four drinks and I am not even drunk." The lieutenant chuckled.

"You know that whatever you drank looked like something Phlox has in his shelf with toxic compounds." Trip gave him his best smile.

"And your green one didn't look like Vulcan blood on a bottle?" Malcolm bit back.

"Enough please!" Hoshi managed while exiting the bar.

"I don't think it contained any alcohol at all." Reed complained. Travis grabbed his scanner while Malcolm put a hand over his face.

"Hey Andy!" Trip waved his hand at his subordinate officer as he walked upon them.

Seeing the other lieutenants scraped uniform Reed immediately got his defences up.

"What happened to you lieutenant?" He said suspiciously.

"Oh nothing sir, I must have stumbled on something while we explored the area." He smiled at the Armoury officer and Chief of Security. Reed frowned at the remark.

Knowing his friend Trip could tell that Malcolm didn't believe a word of what the engineer had just told him.

"Have pleasant night Commander." Nama said walking away in the same direction that he came from.

"Maybe it was something in the drinks after all." Travis said staring at the lieutenant as he left.

"Engineers." Malcolm muttered.

"Not a word Lieutenant Reed!" Malcolm continued ignoring Trip's comment.

"Exploring in the woods he said, I am growing awfully curious."

Trip turned to Hoshi and Travis. "Are you coming?"

"Well, I suppose Phlox told me I needed more exercise." Travis still glanced in the direction of the engineering team.

"Yeah and I assume we have three more nights to rest on." Hoshi added.

What will they find? I know of course 

I will update soon don't worry…


	3. Strange Things Happen

_I don't own anyone or anything related to ST ENT. _

------

**Chapter III**

_Strange Things Happen _

"**I** am not sure if that is safe". T'Pol stated flatly.

"Either you and ensign Cutler take the transporter up here or you stay where you are." Archer gazed at his communicator.

"Very well captain. We request permission to beam onboard."

"Permission granted, and T'Pol?"

"Yes captain?"

"Is it so boring being on shore leave?"

"I don't require that type of actions to relax." She indicated the bar drinking.

"I see, Archer out." He fell back in his chair glancing up in the ceiling before reaching for the com button.

"Archer to Transporter room, please beam up the sub-commander and ensign Cutler."

"Understood sir." The crewman at the transporter pad said.

Jonathan closed his eyes for a moment, it was so calm onboard with only a skeleton crew and for the first time he had come to enjoy the silence. And for the first time in a month he had made contact with a friendly race.

"T'Pol to sickbay."

"Go ahead." Phlox said cheerfully.

"Doctor I have the samples that you requested."

"Very good can you bring them here?"

"I must point out they weren't happy giving away new research procedures to another race." "That is understandable, you didn't force them to did you T'Pol?"

"Negative doctor I simply told them about our starmaps, they found them very valuable."

"I believe their research about a local disease has the quality of curing the Denobulan nerve disease. Thank you sub-commander my colleagues will be pleased." He gave her one of his widest smiles.

_Forest _

After stumbling around in the forest for 20 minutes Trip shook the compass.

"Hey Malcolm? Is it just my head or is the compass spinning?"

Lt. Reed gazed at it obviously puzzled. The compass needle went round and round, he handed it to Hoshi not wanting to look at it anymore.

"Great, what are we doing now?" Malcolm sighed.

"I think we should take a look around this place." Travis nodded at a big black building. Suddenly a light beam searched the area and the four officers threw themselves to the ground trying not to be discovered.

"There's something very strange going on here." Trip whispered as he reached for his communicator.

"Tucker to Enterprise."

There was nothing, not even static interference. Malcolm opened his own. "Reed to Enterprise!"

"Nothing?" Hoshi asked dismayed. Travis shook his head in disbelief.

"_Ackwain noungatha ackron descink katrana..."_

"What the..." Trip started.

"Hush!..." Hoshi quickly silenced him.

"...was that?"

"Tenndarians?" Malcolm whispered.

"Hoshi? What are they saying?" Travis glanced around nervously.

"Not sure...ackron?" Hoshi tried the word.

"What?" Trip asked eager to know.

"I think ackron means espionage." Her eyes met his.

"We better tell the captain." Malcolm said trying to take in as much of his surroundings as possible.

"Hoshi, Travis?" Trip started.

"What is that!" Hoshi stood paralysed gazing at a couple of bright yellow eyes.

"Run!" Trip didn't have to tell anyone twice. They took off in the direction of the building complex.

"I strongly recommend the other way!" Malcolm screamed over some unidentified noises.

"We have no choice, we are surrounded!" Trip shouted back.

As they came closer they split up in an attempt to increase their chances of contacting Enterprise. As Trip and Malcolm entered the building quite easy they heard voices.

"Great, now we need a linguistic expert!" Trip said sarcastically.

"Trip, this is a military building." Malcolm said carefully peeking around a corner with his phaser ready. An alarm suddenly echoed through the corridors.

"I hope that wasn't us." He continued as Trip studied a panel.

"It has to be an access panel!"

"Yes in Tenndarian. You don't happen to have translator?" Malcolm replayed dryly.

Trip scrambled around in his pockets. "As a matter of fact I happen to have one here somewhere, why?" He handed the device to Malcolm who quickly attached it to the panel pushing several buttons.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought you might want English...or American."

"How did you do that?"

" I am not quite sure actually I have just learned it from Hoshi." Malcolm admitted. Trip tapped into the computer, more Tenndarian.

"I can't work miracles commander."

"Tennaite? Isn't that the twin planet of Tenndaria? Are they planning a war or something?" Trip said curiously. Malcolm pointed to the screen.

"These are weapons, this doesn't add up, the Tenndarian's aren't advanced enough to build these kinds of canons."

Trip tried to reach longer into the system. "Can't you get this in English?"

"I am not the linguistic officer." Trip nodded glancing down at Malcolm who was trying to change language. Accidentally he put his hand on the console. Trip just starred at the vision that appeared in front of him. "Malcolm? I think you should se this."

"That's Enterprise!?" Malcolm confirmed a bit surprised.

"That's Enterprise." Trip repeated. His suspicions had been correct.

Malcolm let his eyes wander over the console studying intensely for a while. "Weapons, our weapons array is very detailed."

They could hear distant footsteps. "I doubt that it is Hoshi and Travis."

"We better get out of here, now!" Drawing his weapon Trip sprinted to the opposite side of the corridor as the first guard came around the corner.

Coldly and steady Malcolm stunned the guard and nodded at Trip.


	4. Discoveries

_AN: I don't own anything related to ST ENT. Oh by the way I apologize f__or the short chapter if anyone is still reading this : )_

_------_

**Chapter IV**

_Discoveries_

**Central Command**

"**F**reeze picture!" A Tenndarian said gazing at his screen sternly.

"How much do they know?" He said continuing to stare at the screen.

"They tapped into our main computer and translated the files." Came a reply.

"We may have underestimated these officers." The military leader stated without hesitation. "What do we know about them? What about that one." He said pointing at Malcolm.

"Senior officer, they both are, Lt. M Reed is Chief of Security/Armoury officer onboard." A lieutenant stated.

"And what about the other one?"

"Commander C. Tucker, Chief engineer."

"They are jeopardising my operation! I have come this far and I will not tolerate intrusion from anyone."

"Sir, it might not be wise to contact the ship since they are the only ones knowing about this." The lieutenant tried diplomatically.

"Eliminate them! And have a battleship ready, I want that starship." He glanced upon the picture of the Enterprise, smiling. "I wanted it when it first arrived but agreed with the government just to check its capacity and replicate the necessary systems. Now nothing is holding me back."

**The ****Complex**

An alarm screamed in Hoshi's sensitive ear as she stepped on something. Travis glanced around nervously, swallowing hard upon seeing ten heavy armed guards coming their way.

"Hoshi, we have to go back!"

"How? I can't localize any exiting doors in this building."

There was no time to think, Travis grabbed Hoshi by the arm and rushed down a long corridor ending up in a three way split.

"Which way?"

"Left!" Hoshi screamed as another pair of military men jumped out on her right side.

"Another split, what is this!" Travis stumbled to the right this time.

"I can't take this much longer!" She glanced over her shoulder as three of the guards took aim at them.

"You have too, come on!"

"Wait…a hatch!" Hoshi grabbed hold of Travis.

"Are you sure? It can be an armed torpedo inside!"

"Torpedo or Tenndarian guards?"

Travis watched Hoshi for a second. "I'll take the torpedo."

After sealing the hatch again when they were both safe, she let out a groan starting to breathe again.

"We better get going." Travis whispered sitting just inside the hatch listening.

"No need to tell me that twice." She nodded.

Reaching for another hatch the ensigns slowed down. Travis let a hand fly through his short hair. "Can you make out anything of it?"

Carefully she read the panel on the hatch, her face ending up in a smile. As she entered a series of command the door slid open and Travis got a glimpse of a lake far away in the morning sun.

TBC…


	5. Disaster Strikes

**A/N :**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise_

Been busy lately but here comes the next chapter : )

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**Chapter V**

_Disaster Strikes_

"**T**Pol, any news from the surface?" Archer asked as he entered the bridge in the early morning.

"Negative sir, not a word." Archer frowned at the last remark but decided to let it pass. T´Pol was not known for saying unnecessary words.

"Have you heard anything from the doctor and ensign Cutler?"

"Yes, they are making progress in stopping the Denobulan nerve disease. Phlox is sending the formula of the medicine produced by this planets unusual flora to his colleagues on Denobula."

"Well that's good news!" TPol lifted an eyebrow as Archer smiled.

"Where is Trip and Malcolm?" He mumbled as he turned to sit in his chair.

"We are four floors up!" Hoshi exclaimed glancing down.

"Yeah obviously." Travis said following her gaze.

"Hey don't be smart with me!"

"Sorry Hoshi."

"No it's just...I am sorry...I don't like small places." Ensign Sato sighed leaning heavily against the wall.

"What is that?" Travis said looking at the floor.

"What?" Hoshi straightened

Travis pointed at something that looked like doorknobs laying on the floor. He put one on the wall beside Hoshi. "They suck to the wall!"

"If you think I am going to climb four floors using those you are nuts!" Hoshi's expression was one of fear.

"Given the alternative..." Travis began.

Ten minutes later they both made contact to the ground.

"Where is everybody?" Hoshi whispered.

"Don't know and I am not going to find that out."

When the ensigns had made it just outside the fence they slumped to the ground exhausted.

"Is there a shuttlepod down at the planet?" Travis shook his head.

"It is better to try and reach the bar." He said slowly, thinking.

"After all that we have been through? They will try and stop us!" Sato took a peek over her shoulder but there where no movement.

"There will be crewmen on shore leave! Come on Hoshi."

"Captain." The crewman stepping in for Hoshi said. " I have contact with the chancellor." "Thank you put him through."

"Captain Archer!"

"Chancellor?"

"We are very delighted with your gifts."

"The starcharts were a trade Chancellor Ajin."

"Nevertheless Captain. How are your senior officers doing with the calculations on that alloy?"

"Just fine I believe, I haven't heard from them since yesterday."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Should I be Chancellor?" Jonathan was becoming suspicious.

"Of course not, maybe if they had visited our twin, they are a violent people. Very well captain I should not disturb you any longer." The ambassador smiled closing the channel.

Archer's gaze stayed at the screen even as the chancellor was replaced by the planet. "T'Pol, he is hiding something, find out what it is."

"There is nothing that points in that direction captain."

"Call it human intuition."

"Ensigns, you slept well?"

"What? Oh yes." Travis replayed to the happy crewman just outside the bar.

"There he is!" Hoshi walked briskly to face Lt. Nama who was having a conversation with a crewman.

"Andy? Lt. Nama.?" Hoshi motioned for him to come with her. Travis awaited them at a table in a silent corner.

"What's this all about? Why are you so serious?" He smiled at their grim faces. "We are on shore leave."

"Lieutenant, what happened to you in the forest last night?"

"It was boring actually, we didn't find anything of interest so we headed back here." Hoshi and Travis glanced at each other.

"What happened to your uniform then?" Travis tried carefully.

"Oh I must have stumbled on something you know after a couple of beers. I better go back to the crewman I left at the bar, have a nice time and try to relax would you?"

After avoiding to get caught for two long hours Trip and Malcolm finally reached an exit, only to discover that the surrounding area was full of guards.

"They are closing in on us! Malcolm whispered hoarsely.

They ran quickly through the forest in what they thought to be the direction of the village.

"Can we contact Enterprise?" Trip said trying to catch his breath.

"No, nothing we must still be in the near area of the building." Reed dared a glance towards the complex.

"Any chance that the compass in the tricoder starts to work?"

"You tell me, you are the engineer."

"Listen!" Trip put his hand on Malcolm's shoulder.

"What?" The lieutenant said.

"Can you hear anything?"

"No and I don't like it." The next thing Malcolm knew the Tenndarian guards were all over them.

Struggling to keep an upper-hand of his opponent Trip knew that it would only be a matter of time before they would be overpowered. They were ten to two.

Blood soaked the uniform as one of the guard shot him in the shoulder but it gave Malcolm an advantage because the guards had obviously not expected to se a red substance leaking from the human.

He managed to get hold of one of the guns and take down two guards before the others started to react and Trip wasn't slow to catch up. Even the commander had received his share of shots and bruises feeling a bit light-headed. They rushed for everything that they was worth. However it wasn't easy because the ground was inclined upward.

"Are they still after us?" Malcolm tried to catch his breath almost falling backwards.

"You okay?" Trip glanced at his shoulder with a grim expression.

"Never better, keep going."

Suddenly Tenndarian's appeared in front of them totally surprising the lieutenant and commander. For a split second Trip was aware of something lunging forward against him then in the next there was nothing but black. Malcolm watched in horror as Trip and a guard tumbled down the way they came. He was alone against, now eleven military trained guards. Reed was the armoury officer and a trained security officer but one to eleven wasn't any odds that he liked to play with.

At first he gazed in the direction of his friend but soon realized that they needed help. If he stayed they would both be trapped. Instead he broke free in a last attempt to escape and threw himself forward, starting to run.

Malcolm's vision began to fail him, the blood loss that he suffered from was taking it's toll on him. He suddenly stopped at an edge, gazing at a lake several metres below, the path had ended, there were nowhere to go. Malcolm's tired brain registered five Tenndarian's coming up closely around him. As he fell he knew that he would die.

----

Well I wonder what happens next...

And if you don't have anything else to do please review : )


	6. Something's wrong

**AN: **_Like I have said before I don't own anything related to ST Enterprise._

_I am really not good at this writing and reviewing stuff but I like to read other peoples stories._

_------------------ _

**Chapter VI**

_Something's Wrong_

**The Complex**

"**T**hey escaped!?" The military leader, Admiral Tann, said in disbelief.

"How could they escape from a heavy guarded military building!?"

"The ensigns are nowhere to be found sir." A guard under his command said.

"Nowhere to be found, you found them or your head will be on my desk within the hour!" Tann screamed furiously.

"Sir..." Another young guard said. "...You would be pleased to know that we have eliminated the two others."

"At least I will have some satisfaction today." He glanced upon one of his closest members. "You have my full support, attack the science vessel."

"Yes sir!"

The Admiral continued. "With her I would be feared in this region. I can't take any chances, they might already know, thanks to a lot of incompetents." He said turning to the guards.

**The Bar**

"Just a second Andy! If you want me to relax then you let me use your communicator." Hoshi pleaded to him.

"I am afraid that it has been broken, but I assure you, they are managing just fine without you up there. Now would you let me leave?"

"Sure." Hoshi said, clearly frustrated.

"Why isn't there a functioning communicator around here?" Travis tried another crewman's to no avail.

"Look at them, everyone is walking around like happy zombies, can't they se that the Tenndarian's are false!?" She sighed heavily.

Travis turned to face her. "What if we managed to modify a tricoder?"

"How long would it take?"

"When I was little I used to modify our com. signals onboard the ship so I might be able to do something like that now."

Hoshi ducked behind a supply box as they went out. "Tenndarian's three o'clock. How long Travis?"

"I see them. Give me ten minutes."

**Enterprise**

A light beam stroke the Enterprise as she lay still in orbit, shields down. Jonathan Archer quickly recovered from the floor. "Full power to the shields, go on red alert!"

"We are being fired upon by an unidentified vessel." T'Pol stated as she scanned the area. "They are transmitting information to the planet captain." She continued.

"So the Tenndarian's were not that friendly after all?" He watched the ensign at weapons. "Fire forward phasers on my mark."

"Yes sir."

"Captain?!" The Vulcan science officer called.

"Fire!"

"Direct hit to the starboard engine." The ensign said.

"Captain, we are picking up a faint com. signal from the surface." T'Pol said.

"Put it through."

"On speakers."

"Military complex...alloy...T.ip and...Malcol..."

Archer looked at T'Pol for a second. "Can we beam them up?"

"Not without risk of damage to the ship." She returned his look.

"Is it negligible?"

"It would be manageable."

"Then beam them up quickly!"

Two seconds later Hoshi and Travis stood safely on the transporter platform. With no time to lose they sprinted towards the turbolift. Archer turned around as the two ensigns tumbled out of the lift.

"What's going on down there!" He demanded.

"It's a long story captain, when Lt. Nama, ensign Carrie and a few others came back from there walk they seemed to have no knowledge that they had even taken a walk. We became suspicious, some of us more than the rest." Hoshi quickly filled in.

"I can imagine." Archer murmured.

"Anyway we walked right into a military complex, heavily shielded with guards all over." Travis continued where Hoshi ended. "We tried to outrun them and in order to increase our chances we split up. After four hours of walking thorough corridors and avoiding everyone we managed to escape without notice because someone triggered an alarm."

"Trip or Malcolm?" Archer frowned.

"I don't know but I really hope it wasn't them." Travis pointed out the building on a picture taken with one of the image scanners onboard.

"Only forest, nothing of value." T'Pol stated.

"That's exactly what they want us to think." Travis exclaimed.

"And one other thing, when we returned from our little trip no one at the shore leave sight seemed to know anything about their surroundings, at least not further than the bar." Travis said.

T'Pol raised a brow. "Maybe they had not been further away."

"No , that doesn't make any sense."

Archer pointed at the picture in front of him. "Can we somehow get behind the shielding?"

"I can try various modifications but I am not certain." Travis offered.

"Do it anyway, it might be Trip and Malcolm's only chance."

Enterprise rocked a little from her position as phaser fire danced upon her hull.

"Our tactic has been seen through." Archer moved over to his chair. "Evasive manoeuvres! Travis take the helm, pattern beta four. Who is the highest ranked armory officer onboard?"

"Lieutenant Hogan, sir." The ensign seated at weapons said.

"Archer to Hogan, report."

"Shield strength 84 percent and decreasing, two torpedoes are waiting for launch."

"What about phasers?"

"We are having trouble with the starboard cannon, it was hit pretty badly and I don't have enough people down here to make proper adjustments."

Archer swallowed, looking at the stars on the screen. "Travis you heard lieutenant Hogan?" "Yes sir."

"Did you learn any Starfleet code red flights during your permission?"

"Why would I have not taken the offer?" He smiled meanly.

Archer returned it. "In that case Mr. Maywether why don't you demonstrate?"

"I might just do that sir."

"Good, stand by. Archer to engineering."

"Lt. Hess, sir."

"I need a hundred and ten percent."

"I don't know sir..."

"Now Hess!"

"Pressure are building captain." She acknowledged over the link.

He nodded with satisfaction. "Ensign Russo when I say so the torpedoes must be ready."

"No problem sir."

"The ship is changing to intercept." Hoshi reported from her station.

Archer moved over to the tactical station. "Here she comes, hold on! Travis, code red." "Rerouting tactical, firing tube one, now."

"Direct hit to their starboard engine." Ensign Russo reported.

The captain had to grab hold of the console as a violent shudder went through the ship.

"Direct hit to our main shield!" The ensign continued his report as the hull shrieked around them.

"Direct hit to the saucer section!" Ensign Russo continued.

"Circulate!" Archer shouted over the alarms.

"Circulating sir." Travis acknowledged.

"Locking tube two, firing now." Archer said.

"Penetration of their main shield, good shot sir! Reading several explosions, they are retreating." Russo smiled.

"Good one Travis! Thanks for the ride." Archer nodded at the screen.

T'Pol glanced at the ensign then at the captain. "Code red flights?"

"And here I was thinking the Vulcan High Command knew everything about us." Archer grinned.

"It violated at least three combat flight training programs."

"Code red flights are irregular patterns that serves the purpose of cutting off a starship and effectively disarm her if the situation requires it T'Pol." He pushed the com. "Bridge to all decks, damage report."

_tbc_


	7. Captured

**AN: **_Well I don't own anything related to ST Enterprise._

_I realise that T'Pol might not seem to be quite herself but that is because this story was something I wrote before even watching the two latest seasons._

_---------------_

**Chapter VII**

_Captured_

**The C****omplex, com.link **

"**Y**ou have failed your mission captain Tret, I was under the impression that you wanted a new command."

"Yes admiral."

"So you will captain, freighter Nova is waiting for you when you dock with Ta'Inn, if you dock." He glanced at his subordinate. "End transmission."

"Chancellor Ajin on channel one." A lieutenant said.

"On." He returned.

"Admiral I must congratulate you for your splendid actions. Thanks to you the whole operation is at stake."

"A mistake chancellor it will not be repeated."

"It's already too late for that! How about the four intruders? Two of them escaped the complex as you probably already know. You'd better find them before captain Archer does." The chancellor threatened.

"Don't give me orders chancellor!" The admiral snapped.

"I am sorry, why don't you take them as advice." His fake smile disappeared and was replaced by a chilly posture.

**The Complex, holding area**

"Ha'raz noctune shesha."

"Whatever it is you want I don't have it." Trip said weakly.

"Ichte za."

"Ah listen buddy you don't have a translator around here somewhere?"

"Ha'raz noctune shesha!"

"Ugh take it easy with that you might cut someone's throat off!" Trip said trying to get away from the sharp weapon in the guards hand.

"Y sala listen." Trip glanced upon the Tenndarian. "How much do you know!" The guard demanded.

"Know about what?" Trip said innocently.

The guard smashed the weapon over his chest wound that he received earlier causing blood to stain in Trip's face. The commander pushed himself closer to the floor in an attempt to protect himself.

"You will die anyway human!"

Trip glared at him giving the room an icy tension. "I'll tell you what, you have a lousy interrogation technique as a friend of mine would say."

The guard smiled broadly at the comment. "Your friend is dead."

But to his disappointment the human didn't react the way he was supposed to.

Trip glanced up at him. "There is 89 crewmen onboard our ship, there you've got the only information that I am gonna give you, so what makes you believe I refer to the guy who was with me?"

"Because, commander, the usual interrogator onboard your vessel would be Chief of security, armory- and tactical officer Lt. Reed." Trip swallowed. "Lt. Reed accidentally fell off the edge, no one would ever survive a fall like that." The guard said in a mocked tone.

"I bet he _fell_ off the edge." Trip replied sarcastically.

"Why would I lie to you?" He pointed his gun at Trip's forehead. "Enough small talk, tell me about this building."

"Why? You probably already know it all."

"Don't be smart with me!" The guard said anger evident in his face.

Trip hissed in pain as the pipe once again made contact to his injured side only to vanish a few moments later when his surroundings no longer seemed familiar and the little light he had had burned out.

"Lieutenant was that really necessary? Another guard said stepping out of the shadows.

"These beings are much more fragile than us, you might have killed him!"

"Then I don't see the problem, assistant."

**Enterprise**

"And engineering reports minor hits to the warp drive."

"All right T'Pol. Travis, any sign of the vessel?"

"None sir."

"Clear on the channels captain." Hoshi added.

"Archer to sickbay."

"Phlox here captain."

"How many casualties?"

"22 so far but it is mostly fractures, clean breaks and bumps nothing overly serious."

"Thanks, I will check in later." He ended the intercom. message and turned to T'Pol.

"Bring up all shore leave personal but do it with caution, I don't want a sneak attack on my hands."

"Understood captain, I'll be in the transporter room."

_tbc_


	8. Gathered

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise._

_And I am sorry for the delay, been on vacation and been busy doing nothing_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter VIII**

_**Gathered**_

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Archer to T'Pol report."

"110 crewmen has been brought onboard captain but..."

"T'Pol?"

"Lt. Nama, ensign Carrie, ensign Backara, crewman Fossie and crewman Bonnie appear distressed somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems they have no memory of where they have been for eight hours."

"Where are they now?"

"In sickbay, doctor Phlox is performing an examination."

"Are there any other crewmen that expresses the same...confusion?"

"Phlox will go through all personal but it will take time."

"I understand, report back if any progress has been made."

"I am hearing activity on the surface channels." Hoshi said alerting the rest of them.

"Keep tracking the source Hoshi." He turned to the intercom again.

"T'Pol leave all medical to Phlox and team up with lieutenant Hogan, find a way to see through that forcefield." He pointed toward the forest on the picture still on the table.

"I want a good view of what we are facing." Archer turned to face both Hoshi and Travis.

"When you where down there did you manage to scan the area?" He said curiously.

"I don't know how far it is from the shore leave sight because it is surrounded by some magnetic field that disrupts the signals." Travis explained.

"Inside the complex we only scanned when it was absolutely necessary in order to avoid the military personal." Hoshi continued. "And I am afraid that that minimal amount decreased even more when we tried to come in contact with you."

Archer gave her a questioning look.

"We had to modify one of the scanners to be able to reach you, all communicators had been blocked or forgotten at various places." Travis filled in seeing the captain's look of confusion. "Why would the junior crew be so careless, that doesn't make sense." Archer mused.

"Something must have happened when we were away." Hoshi said.

"I intend to find out what." The captain returned.

"Rig it up in the lab and try to get some useful information out of it."

"Ship coming from the upper atmosphere!" Ensign Russo reported.

"Belay that!" Archer glanced at Travis. "Evasive manoeuvres! Red alert, all hands report to stations, transporter room break off, shields are coming up!"

"It's not the same one." Ensign Russo continued to report.

" Archer to armoury, weapon compliments?"

"Two hull phasers, three torpedo hatches in the forward section." Lieutenant Hogan answered. "Backwards?"

"Scanning, two phasers but no torpedo hatch!"

Archer glanced at Travis. "Put us behind!"

He then glanced over at Hoshi. "Hoshi try hailing them."

"Already have sir they are not responding."

T'Pol came through the door and instantly grabbed the railing as Enterprise where hit by twin phasers. Archer quickly moved over to the tactical station, assessing the situation as Hogan walked up from the lift.

"Hogan I want a full spread of torpedoes on my mark."

Ensign Russo rapidly moved out of the chair and Hogan took his place. "Ready to launch."

"Good, launch torpedo tubes one and two, now!"

T'Pol moved over to her scanner. "I am reading a power loss on the starboard side." She reported.

"Increased activity on the channels." Ensign Sato said.

"Can you tap into them?"

Hoshi let her hands fly on the console giving him quick but reassuring look. "I am doing my best captain."

"They are dead in the water, I don't think they pose a threat." Michael Hogan watched the display in front of him.

"It is a trap lieutenant Hogan and we are not gonna walk right into it."

"Then what are we going to do sir?"

"We are going to show them we know about there little game, full stop."

"Full stop." Travis announced.

"Come on chancellor Ajin show me your next move." Archer said to no one in particular setting his jaw.

-----

**Beach****, flashback**

_25 __ years from the present or Malcolm 10 years_

"Don't just stand there boy get into the boat!"

"I'd rather stay on the shore sir."

"You are disgracing the family tradition Malcolm."

"Please father."

"A Reed don't beg! Get your ass in the boat!"

"Yes sir."

_10 __years from the present or Malcolm 25 years_

"Was the ocean too small for you?"

"No the boat was too small father."

His mother suddenly interrupted the conversation. "I love you Malcolm and Stuart does too even if he doesn't show it."

"I don't know how long I will be gone or if I will ever come back, was his only replay. I am sorry but being in the navy was not my destiny."

"You have spent too many hours with those space hippies." Stuart muttered

"Starfleet academy." Malcolm corrected him.

"Very well Ensign."

_20 years from the present or Malcolm 15 years_

His friend held up a poster in front of him. It didn't display the ocean as many at home did instead it pictured a planet far away in the galaxy.

"It took 20 years to get there and back on impulse." His friend said excited.

"But it wont do that anymore." He continued.

"How do you know that?"

"Henry Archer's warp engine Malcolm! Well it's not a hundred percent yet but it will."

"I am not very updated on Starfleet, my father says it's only for the ones that didn't succeeded in the navy."

"Is that what you believe?" His friend asked sadly.

"I don't know."

"Get there Malcolm and get yourself an opinion of your own."

He looked up in the sky. "You see space is the final frontier because behind the stars lies eternity."

_3 years from the present _

"Shuttlepod two to Enterprise." Trip said trying to clear his foggy mind.

"Only static interfernce." Malcolm said as if Trip hadn't heard.

Trip moved over to the co-pilot's seat. "Hoshi?"

"The discharge that hit her was quite strong, we need Phlox. She is okay for now but it probably wont be for long." Malcolm said checking her pulse and moved forward.

An alarm suddenly echoed in the cabin. "Hull integrity down to critical!" Malcolm screamed over the sound.

"I see it." Trip said refocusing on the navigation.

"There is nowhere to land, only water!" Malcolm complained feeling the panic rising.

"We have no choice. I have lost helm control!" Trip shouted over the noise and Malcolm rushed back to shield Hoshi as the shuttle splashed down in the ocean.

Malcolm awoke from the water that licked his skin.

"Are you all right!?" Trip asked from behind him.

"Ask me later."

"We have to get out we are leaking."

"Too much water...will be submerged...too much water" He mumbled.

_Present time_

Water, he lay in water! He opened his eyes in panic but instead of being on a sinking shuttle he lay on the rocky beach barely touched by the water.

Why was he here? Slowly he pulled himself further up on the shore away from the frightening water. Exhausted by the little move he glanced up in the air, his eyes stopping at a high cliff. He closed his eyes, his whole body ached, he couldn't go on.

Malcolm let his head rest on the rocks as blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth but he knew know that water was not his enemy, it had saved his life.

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Channel one decoded sir." Hoshi reported with a smirk on her face.

"Speakers." Archer said.

"...you doing? You should have finished the job a long time ago!"

"Why so bothered chancellor, you have nothing to do with this...officially."

Ajin pretended not to have heard the last word. "Admiral the Enterprise should be in custody by midnight."

"Enterprise, so that's her name. Why the sudden change in interest chancellor?"

"The body has not been found and all shore leave personal is in the process of beaming up. It has not occurred to you that he might be still alive?" The chancellor said anxiously.

The admiral laughed. "After that fall?"

Archer's face became darker the further the conversation went on.

"And as for the ship situation, I have everything under control." Admiral T'ann said.

"Really, why is it not attacking then?" Ajin said in a mocking tone.

"Oh it will."

Archer waved at Hoshi who immediately cut off the conversation. The captain turned to his science officer for an opinion. "What do you think?"

"One of them has been fatally wounded and since it possesses such a problem to the Tendarians it is logical to assume that the other one is already dead."

"T'Pol it is Trip and Malcolm you are talking about!"

"I am aware of that captain and I am not saying that we shouldn't try and get them back but you have to face reality."

"I have another theory."

"Travis?" Archer asked curiously.

"They would want information about the Enterprise right?" He looked at Archer as for confirmation. "So who says either Trip or Malcolm are dead? One of them might be interrogated about every system onboard as we speak."

Archer turned back to his first officer. "No offence T'Pol but I like Travis conclusion better."

"Sir." Hoshi interrupted. "What are we going to do with our persuaders?"

"Target their main propulsion lieutenant Hogan."

He glanced at Hoshi and smiled with satisfaction. "Why don't we give them a surprise."

"Firing on a vessel not presenting any immediate danger is a direct violation of..."

"You heard the admiral T'Pol."

"I will see past the event then."

If Archer didn't know better he could have sworn the Vulcan smiled.

-----

To be continued


	9. Life

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise._

_And I am sorry for the delay, been on vacation and been busy doing nothing_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter IX**

_Life_

-----

**the ****Beach**

**W**hen he woke again he was lying on some kind of stretcher. "Where are you taking me?"

A hand was placed on his shoulder and the Tenndarian reached for something in his pocket. Apparently it was a translator. "You have been injured."

"Yes I know." Malcolm said sarcastically, instantly regretting his tone.

"I am doctor T'ela would you like to tell me yours?"

Malcolm hesitated for a moment. "Are you from the military?"

"Yes."

"Then you already know who I am."

"No, I was told to look for a body not a living person."

"Don't you ever wonder what is going on behind closed doors?"

"You didn't answer my question, the doctor said patiently."

"Lt. Malcolm Reed, USS Enterprise. Now that you know, why don't you just leave me here?"

"Lieutenant I don't understand."

"Do you think I fell off that edge on purpose?"

"I don't know what you are implying lieutenant."

"Oh come on doctor, they wanted a..." He suddenly fell into a coughing fit, T'ela unconsciously stepped back as more of the red substance poured out of the lieutenant's mouth. "..body."

"You are very unwell."

"Then they should be happy." Malcolm muttered silently.

"Did I forgot to mention that I know what you are doing back there?" He closed his eyes.

"You should not talk." The doctor sounded genially concerned.

He smiled slightly, he really hated this day.

"Lieutenant? Lieutenant Reed please wake up!"

-----

**the Complex**

Trip stared at the ceiling not daring to move his battered body. As strangely as it sounded he didn't have much ache but the sight of his own uniform told him he had lost a lot of blood. Sighing heavily he grabbed one of the metal bars trying to find a more comfortable position when Heza come back. He had learned that was the murderous lieutenant's name.

"Well you are up again." Trip looked at him.

"Why don't you just tell me what I want to know and I will let you walk out through that door." He pointed towards the corridor.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It is not nice to accuse anyone of lying commander."

"Really? It's not nice to kidnap someone lieutenant." Trip bit back.

Heza was just about to deliver his punishment when an alarm echoed through the walls.

"You are lucky this time!" He said running out of the holding cell.

Trip slowly dragged himself up in a standing position. It couldn't be the intruder alarm because that would not require everyone's attention. However Heza was a member of the guards. The room suddenly vibrated as it got struck by something. A phaser, he smiled looking up as if to see the sky. It had to be Enterprise.

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Are you sure this is the right co-ordinates?" Archer said leaning in beside Travis.

"Yes, we should have made contact with the building."

"Phasers has made contact and whatever it was it was not trees." T'Pol stated.

"Captain we have Chancellor Ajin on link." Hoshi said suddenly.

"Put it through."

"Captain Archer I demand to know what you are doing!"

"I am sorry we have been running a testing program on our weapons but don't worry we just hit a couple of trees." Archer smiled.

Ajin's voice became milder at once. "Of course but the woods are very important for our people you see so please try to avoid the tree regions."

"Chancellor do you have a problem with rebellions?" Archer suddenly changed subject.

"Why would you want to know?" The chancellor said sheepishly.

"We were attacked by one of your vessels."

"That must have been a mistake captain we don't have any ships near you for the moment." Archer smiled, he is a slimy little one, he thought. "Very well, I hope you don't mind if I bring up the last group of shore leave personal as precaution anyway."

"No not at all captain." The chancellor returned the smile.

As Hoshi cut the transmission Archer sat down in his chair.

"I have to give him credit."

"You where quite good yourself captain." Travis returned.

"All right that should have given us a couple of hours at most but they wont buy the testing thing again." He turned to his science officer and the stand in for Malcolm.

"T'Pol, Hogan any progress yet?"

"When we fired at the site sensors made contact with a building complex for 10 seconds."

"That would be enough for a transport." Archer mused.

"Unfortunately it is not enough time to localise _and_ beam out, we must fire at least twice." T'Pol said.

"That is that we are assuming either Trip or Malcolm are in there." Hoshi said.

"Hoshi is right the forcefield covers ground outside it, at least 5 kilometres in every direction."

-----

**the Complex, holding area**

Trip smiled inwardly then doubled over grimacing hard.

"Hey human!" The smaller replacement guard rushed forward.

"Hurts." He mumbled.

"What?" The guard said desperately.

Trip opened his eyes with agony and threw himself at the unaware guard. He furiously got in a few punches then grabbing the gun from the holster. Breathing heavily leaning against the wall Trip checked it out.

"So tell me what would happen if I shoot you with this?"

"I will probably come to Ravaneez."

"I beg you pardon?"

"You would not understand."

"Does it kill!"

"Depends on how you set it." The guard blinked away a wave of dizziness.

"Yeah it has been nice to know you." He said coldly pushing down the trigger. He looked at the unconscious form lying on the floor.

"I am sorry I couldn't send you to wherever you wanted to go but you have a few things to sort out with your superiors first."

The alarm suddenly got silent, he tensed, the murderous lieutenant would probably be back soon. He had to find a place out of there. Trusting the only thing he could trust, his own instincts, he ran through the corridors of the complex hoping he was going in the right direction.

-----

**the Complex, infirmary**

He heard noises, unfamiliar noises around him.

"He is coming around." A nurse quickly relayed.

"Lt Reed?"

Opening his eyes he was almost certain he had Phlox bending over him with a scanner. Instead an older man in a military uniform carefully checked his vitals. The same older man that had been talking to him at the beach.

Suddenly he was overcome by impressions and memories from the past few days events. And now he was back at the place he had tried so hard to escape. He could only hope that Hoshi and Travis had better luck than he and Trip. Malcolm wondered where they had taken him, if he was still alive somewhere. Without scanner or communicator and obviously in a room shielded from outer noise there was not much that he could do.

"Lieutenant can you hear me?"

"Why am I still alive?"

A nurse looked strangely at him. T'ela flashed a quick smile at her. "He is still a bit delusive. Lieutenant we are no barbarians, we do not kill people. It must have been one of those dreams that you have been having lately. You are recovering from a grave disease, to be honest I didn't have much hope left that you would return to us."

"I was not ill."

"I don't expect you to remember, you were very weak."

"How long has it been?" Malcolm asked, clearly confused.

The doctor looked down on the floor then reaching for something that looked like a hypo.

"It's been ten days."

Malcolm briefly closed his eyes. "Where is Enterprise?"

"Your ship is in orbit, focus on getting well now."

He slowly nodded in agreement but deeply in thought as the doctor injected a fluid in his venom.

-----

**the Complex, ****unknown location**

Trip threw himself against the wall as fast as he could given the state that he was in and waited as the two security members went past him. The alarm had stopped right after he had left his cell, whatever caused it must have been discovered and maybe even eliminated. He inhaled deeply, Enterprise must be looking for them by now. Maybe Hoshi and Travis had made it. Heza's words rang in his ears. Lieutenant Reed is dead commander. A big part of him still hoped it wasn't true, a big part of him could not accept that. He was really looking forward to nail these bastards, it gave him strength to be able to move on. He focused on the present again. There must be a way to shut down the cloaking devise and forcefield, if he could find the command central. He tried to remember the symbols for weapons and controls Malcolm got up at the display before they had to run.

-----

To be continued


	10. Resolutions

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise._

_And I am sorry for the delay, been on vacation and been busy doing nothing_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter X**

_Resolutions _

-----

**the Complex, infirmary**

**M**alcolm carefully opened his eyes, this time there was no one around. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of the monitors displaying his condition but without a translator he might just have been studying ancient hieroglyphs. He had a little medical training but a qualified guess would be that he was not too bad but not too good either.

He pushed himself up in a sitting position caught by a flash back took him back in the forest fighting for his life, seeing Trip being overpowered and shoot by the guards, he himself running to the top of a cliff. Then he was back in the sterile room, his breathing was shallow and it hurt as he drew a deep breath maybe he was even dead and this was his last memories of life floating in his brain. Then a voice come to his mind. You are still recovering from a very serious disease...disease...disease. He had to get out of there not just for his own sake but for Trip's he had to be somewhere in the vicinity.

Malcolm carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed, when no one came rushing in to stop him he slid off the bed leaning heavily on it as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"I wonder if they are monitoring me." He muttered silently to himself.

Malcolm slowly made his way to the door, that's how far he would get without the combination. He didn't know how many times he could try without triggering an alarm. It was a number of combinations possible but the system seemed to have similarities with the Enterprise's. He grabbed a surgical knife from a table nearby and carefully loosened the panel from the wall, disposing the circuits.

Malcolm was tired his mind and body needed more time than usual to co-operate, he tried to shake of the groggy feeling in order to fully concentrate on the circuitry. The armoury officer gently cut off two of the cables and began hot-wiring them. The display suddenly came to life showing a number of symbols. Hoping he could remember them in the correct order, Malcolm pushed the buttons and held his breath.

The door started to open, for Malcolm that was eternity, but in reality it took ten seconds.

"Going somewhere lieutenant?" Doctor T'ela said sternly nodding at two armed security guards standing behind him.

"Why the sudden change of tactics doctor?" Malcolm said innocently, arms folded over his chest bandage visible under his uniform.

"You are not well enough to leave, you might injure yourself."

"Is that a threat doctor?" Enterprise's armoury officer challenged.

"That is a fact lieutenant."

"So tell me, what happened to the commander?"

"Reed you are still confused, it is the drugs."

"Skip the crap talk doctor T'ela."

The guards slowly closed in on him. He backed tactically against the wall. When the first guard pointed his gun at him the doctor prepared an injection.

"Why don't you just lie down Malcolm? It would be much simpler that way."

"What happened to your ship is in orbit and will soon get you?"

"It is in orbit but it might not necessarily know where you are."

The doctor took his arm and Malcolm took his opportunity, he grabbed T'ela's other arm and twisted the doctor around using him as a shield.

"Did I forgot to tell you I am Enterprise's Chief of Security, tactical and armoury officer?"

He looked at the guards. "Stand aside."

"We are under orders to take whatever action necessary to keep you here lieutenant Reed."

He quickly threw the doctor at the nearest guard using the element of surprise. The guard fell backwards with the doctor on top, Malcolm grabbed his gun and ran for the open door. The other guard aimed and fired missing him by millimetres. The ground suddenly shook beneath him, the action triggered several alarms. He momentarily stopped then looked behind him, running as fast as he could away from the medical bay.

-----

**the Complex, near the command centre**

Trip looked at the ceiling as the lights flickered then went down. He heard footsteps coming from behind. If the light went on now he would be killed. The commander felt himself forward with his hands on the wall, symbols glowed faintly at every door. Maybe it was emergency lights. Somehow it had given him an advantage.

Just after his escape he had come across a site plan and using that he had been able to localize which floor he was on and on which floor the command central most likely would be on. That's where he was now. He could not fail now when he was so close. It had to be here somewhere it just had to be.

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Captain I think I had Commander Tucker there for a while." T'Pol stated studying her scanner intensely.

"Where?!"

"Third floor section 31."

" Map completed." The computer stated.

"I have it!" Travis exclaimed as a building complex took form at the main screen.

"So that's what it looks like." Archer said thoughtfully.

"The forcefield is still up sir, this is good as it gets for the moment." Hogan said.

"Captain we are being hailed."

"Bring it up Hoshi."

"Captain Archer I warn you!"

"Chancellor Ajin I assure you we meant no harm to your trees."

"They are very valuable captain."

"I bet they where, that's why you had them all brought away so you could establish a military complex at the site."

The chancellor just starred blankly at him.

"Maybe not necessarily you but someone did." Archer continued.

"Within seconds you will be boarded and taken captives for espionage put into custody and eliminated."

Archer looked up at the screen innocently. "Is that what happened to my officers?"

"Your officers are dead captain." The chancellor replied angrily.

"Are you sure? I believe there where some questions about that."

"Captain we are being fired upon." Hogan warned.

"Fire back!" Archer glanced at the chancellor then turned to Hoshi and back again.

"If you would excuse me chancellor I have a few matters to attend to."

Hoshi quickly cut off the transmission.

"Evasive actions Travis."

"Direct hit to port nacelle!" Lt. Hogan reported.

"Come about and target their main propulsion." Archer said.

"In range! Firing forward phasers. No effect sir. They are returning fire, direct hit to starboard nacelle!" The lieutenant shouted over the alarms blaring.

"We are losing warp drive." Travis said.

"Fire with all capacity. Do it now!" Archer shouted back to Hogan.

"Firing phasers, firing canons, opening torpedo hatches."

The Ta'Inn never had a chance to avoid the Enterprise's deadly fire. The young and inexperienced commander that had replaced captain Tret had ordered full shield capacity but it was too late. In his last minute alive, all he could see was destruction and death and the ship that had caused it all, the scientific explorer vessel Enterprise.

Captain Archer turned his head away as a massive explosion filled the screen. He swallowed hard starring at the debris floating in front of them.

"I am sorry." He whispered.

T'Pol glanced up from her console. "Captain he would not have been sorry, he wanted only two things; capture us or eliminate us, either way we would have been killed."

He turned towards her meeting her clear Vulcan eyes. "Thank you T'Pol."

"It was logical captain."

He turned back to the screen. "Travis bring us closer to the base. We have no time to lose, more ships will probably come our way. Somehow I don't think they will do the same mistake again."

-----

**the Complex**

"Admiral the Ta'Inn!"

The admiral looked sternly at the lieutenant. "I saw it."

"I am sorry sir but was it wise to replace captain Tret?"

"I really hope you are not questioning my judgement lieutenant."

"No sir, absolutely not sir."

Tann looked at the screen, he was like a child wanting the new exclusive toy.

"I want that ship and I want it now. Re-route the Ta'Lann and bring her on an intercept course, tell the captain to board her and if not possible eliminate her."

"Sir what are we going to do with the escaped officers?" The lieutenant watched the admiral as he grabbed a projectile weapon and stormed away.

"Sir?"

"Do as I say lieutenant, the rest is none of your business."

-----

**the Complex, near the command centre**

Trip starred in chock at an automate riffle as the lights went on.

"Hello commander."

"Lieutenant Heza, long time no see."

"Shut up human!"

"Wow, take it easy you might hurt someone!"

Heza glared at him, eyes filled with hatred and despise. Trip looked up in the ceiling as the lights flickered once again. Heza glanced around in surprise. Trip looked directly at him.

"I believe you are being fired upon."

Heza aimed and fired so fast that Trip barely managed to avoid it. The whole complex shuddered under his feet and only the emergency lights once again gloved in the dark corridors. Trip crawled silently alongside the wall desperately trying to get away.

"You cannot outrun or outsmart me commander, so you might as well give it all up, then I might spare you the slow painful death I had in mind for you."

There was no replay or movement that indicated that there where anyone else nearby. He fired around himself, his laughter echoing in the corridor. "Good bye commander."

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

Archer grabbed his chair as a shudder went through the ship.

"Captain a battlecruiser is coming our way." T'Pol said.

"The cavalry?" Archer wondered.

"So it seems."

"Lieutenant Hogan?"

"Scanning now, stand by. Weapon complement; two forward phasers, torpedo hatches all around the saucer section."

"No cannons?"

"No cannons." Hogan confirmed.

Archer turned to T'Pol. "Manoeuvring capability?"

She glanced down at her console. "I cannot say yet."

"Travis, prepare for fast evasive manoeuvre."

"Michael?" Archer looked at the armoury station.

"Ready sir."

Hoshi pushed buttons on her console listening intensely.

"Nothing on channel one Hoshi?"

"Negative captain."

He nodded, in the next minute he almost flew backwards as a torpedo struck a section nearby. "Report!"

"Hit on deck below, shields are holding!" Hogan shouted.

"Return fire, target their main propulsion!" Archer shouted back.

"Firing phasers, their shields are holding."

"Load torpedoes, full spread."

"We are taking damages, casualties 22 reported, engineering reports fire." T'Pol relayed.

"We are being hailed." Hoshi stated calmly.

"On screen."

"This is Tenndarian battle cruiser Ta'Lann, we are under orders to board your vessel and if not possible eliminate her."

Archer's muscles flexed, he looked directly at the captain displayed on the screen.

"Very well captain, let me introduce you, he mad a sweeping gesture around the bridge, this is U.S.S Enterprise and she will never sail under Tenndarian flag."

He turned his head. "Hogan?"

"On stand by sir."

The Tenndarian captain smiled. "If you are persistent captain but this will be over soon anyway." Archer returned the smile. "Maybe, maybe not."

The transmission where cut. "Fire, full spread."

-----

To be continued soon I hope : )


	11. The Summoning

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise_

_I hope you like the next chapter : )_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter XI**

_The Summoning _

-----

**the Complex, unknown location**

**M**alcolm steadied himself against the wall, no one seemed to be following. He gently examined the weapon he had taken from the guard in the medical bay. It was some kind of phaser weapon but it did not stun, it burned through the flesh of the opponent. Three different degree settings could be chosen, right now it was on the mildest one and Malcolm let it be that way. On the level he was on, the lamps shone bright and he was sweating but if it was due to medications or exhaustion he couldn't say. The alarms had stopped blaring and it was totally silent. He carefully moved from door to door trying to make out his whereabouts but it was with limited success. He jumped behind a corner as a door suddenly opened to his left. A figure Malcolm knew too well exited.

-----

**the Complex, near the command centre**

Trip dragged himself up in a sitting position, breathing heavily with closed eyes. He had escaped Heza, for now. His thoughts once again went to Malcolm and what had happened to him, maybe Heza was right after all? No, Malcolm was, is, he corrected himself the Chief of Security, tactical officer and armoury officer onboard Enterprise and if it was anyone they could gain information about tactics and weapons from it was him. Malcolm wouldn't give it away of course but still.

And Travis and Hoshi had they got back safely? Something had attacked the base before, he had almost taken it for granted that it was the Enterprise but then it had stopped and knowing Archer he wouldn't give up until his last minute in life. Maybe it was a Tennaite border cruiser but on the other hand did they know there were a military complex here?

It was highly unlikely. A noise grew louder nearby and Trip focused to max. He slowly got up forcing himself further down the corridor, it had to be down there somewhere.

-----

**the Complex, unknown location**

Malcolm stopped in his tracks, Ajin where suddenly greeted by five security officers. He said something and they all moved aside looking in the direction of the lieutenant. He tensed, preparing himself but the attack never came. Instead he watched chancellor Ajin punch in a code on the door lock. It easily slid open displaying Malcolm in broad daylight, he was on the ground floor ten metres away from the open.

"Haza noc, haza noc!" One of the guards screamed.

Reed ran as fast as he could jumping into an elevator praying the guards would not be fast enough. Although he knew deep inside that it would only be a matter of time, they would be waiting for him. The doors closed and he fell to his hands and knees as his legs gave out, breathing hard. The display blinked meaning it was approaching another level. He grabbed the railing forcing himself up and together. The lift came to a halt and the doors slid open. He took a deep breath but no one came and the doors started to close again, Malcolm jumped through the small opening and landed hard on the floor, his energy rapidly fading. He was underground, there were someone lingering in the shadows, he hastily got up.

"You have fought bravely lieutenant, my men have had a hard time to track you and your commander down."

Malcolm looked up at the military leader, Trip was still alive.

"I let T'ela have you but he was unable to bring the information that I wanted from you and now it is too late. Your life ends here lieutenant." He pointed the projectile weapon at his heart. Malcolm threw himself away, the wall behind him ricocheted the projectile and caught him in the ribcage.

He lay dangerously still beside the opposite wall of the corridor. The admiral closed in on him, the lights blinked then went dead as an explosion rocked the floor. Malcolm grabbed Tann's waist with both his hands in an attempt to take the gun, hissing in pain as the admiral twisted in his grip, then they both disappeared in a shimmer of light.

-----

**the Complex, near the command centre**

_Moments earlier_

"You can run but you cannot hide commander!"

Heza, when was he to give up, Trip thought in despair. It was a dead end, the corridor ended at a double door. Trip desperately pushed the buttons on the door console as the lieutenant slowly moved towards him, a grim smile on his face.

"Imagine you would get this far, I am impressed commander."

"I really don't understand." Trip rasped, breathing heavily.

Heza had a sheepish smile on his face. "Of course not human."

"Tell me...something, consider it my last wish."

"Commander I am disappointed in you, I thought you would fight till the end."

Trip smiled back. "How do you deactivate the forcefield?"

"Why, waiting for the cavalry to come to your rescue?"

"You will never now." He returned.

"It has been nice talking to you Trip, may I call you that?"

"I cannot say the same."

"I am sorry you feel that way."

Before Heza pulled the trigger Trip fell to the ground and the lieutenant blinked in surprise, he went forward.

If there is one thing you shouldn't do it is to underestimate your opponent but Heza did just that. Trip put his legs around Heza's and the guard fell to the ground, the commander quickly grabbed his gun. The lieutenant struggled to get the upper hand and the projectiles ricocheted in the hard walls creating a sound of thunder in the small space. However Trip had an advantage, he fought desperately for his survival.

The heavy double door opened displaying a cautious lieutenant Coda in the command central, one of Admiral Tann's closest men. Trip fired quickly, Coda had no chance, and then rolled into the room. He smiled to himself seeing Malcolm's facial expression when he said he had shoot an unarmed. Luckily for Trip there where not too many officers at the stations this hour. He managed quite easily, seeing the Enterprise engaged in battle with a battle cruiser he made his way over to the main console.

"If I only had a translating device!" He pushed several buttons but nothing happened. Noise grew louder from the other side of the door and Trip glanced over his shoulder nervously. Heza had probably gathered a small security force by now. Sirens blared around him as he continued pushing the buttons. A picture displaying a green layer around the building and five kilometres in every direction came up. He had found it, the door behind him started to open.

"Come on Trip you can do it!" He repeated to himself.

He worked on the console, it was now or never. A sentence where displayed, Trip assumed it was a confirmation. He screamed as a projectile drilled itself into the back of his shoulder, sliding down he pushed the confirming button.

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Captain!" T'Pol shouted over the noise from a the collision alarm.

"The forcefield is shutting down!" Archer turned to ensign Maywether.

"Bring us closer Travis. Hogan, a final blow."

"With pleasure sir." He called down to ensign Russo who manually loaded the torpedo launcher and fired. The impact caused an explosion ripping off one of the nacelles leaving the Ta'Lann dead in space.

"Direct hit to main propulsion system sir, the power is down."

Archer nodded. "T'Pol, localize and energize."

T'Pol rapidly moved to the lift. Archer pushed the com button.

"Doctor Phlox report to transporter room on a double!"

"Stand down red alert, I will be in the transporter room."

He nodded to Travis. "You have the bridge."

-----

**the Complex, the command centre**

Heza watched the commander disappear in a shimmer of light, he rapidly moved to the main console where Trip had been lying. His hands flew over the console but he was not a member of the command staff and the extra time it took him to restore the field were a minute too long. He watched a massive bird manoeuvre away from the complex and one of their finest battle cruisers lying dead in space. The ship steered away graciously, she was damaged but still very manoeuvrable.

"Enterprise NX-01." He read. "A science vessel." He spat.

"She is well equipped for being an explorer."

"What did you say chief?"

"Return to patrol ensign and find the admiral quickly!"

-----

**Enterprise, ****transporter room**

Archer rushed forward as Trip materialized on the platform, his eyes shut in agony.

"Trip!" He screamed, the frustration evident in his voice.

"Captain please move aside." Phlox said calmly as he brought out his scanner.

Archer's heart skipped a beat as Malcolm, engaged in a fight of life and death, materialized just seconds after. The captain threw himself at the admiral who was taken by surprise and relatively easy to disarm. In the middle of the chaos Phlox motioned for the two medical assistants to come forward. Archer grabbed the gun and called over two security guards.

"Put him in the brig till I have decided what I want to do with him."

He turned to his armoury officers lying on the deck breathing heavily, his uniform soaked with blood from various wounds. He had a nasty gauge in his forehead, from the fall no one could have survived Archer's features hardened thinking about the conversation between the chancellor and the admiral.

"Malcolm, nice of you to drop by, are you okay?"

"Ask...me later." He replayed with a faint smile.

Phlox kneeled at his side. Malcolm looked at him clearly in pain. "How is...Trip?"

"Not to good I am afraid he needs medical attention fast and so do you lieutenant."

He closed his eyes for a moment. "Malcolm?" Archer said worriedly.

Phlox eyes met the captain's. "They are in a very bad shape and I cannot give any guarantees." Archer nodded, then patted the good doctor on his shoulder.

"I trust you Phlox do what you have to, I am going to have a talk to our friend in the brig."

To say Archer was angry would be an understatement, he was furious, no one tried to kill his officers and friends and got away with it!

-----

To be continued


	12. Untold Stories

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise_

_I hope you like the next chapter : )_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter XII**

_Untold Stories_

-----

**Enterprise, the brig**

"**W**hy have you brought me here?" The admiral stared at the captain as he entered.

He cast the guard a quick glance, letting him know that he wanted to deal with this alone. The crewman nodded and exited.

"I demand to know captain!"

"I don't think you are in any position to demand anything admiral."

Tann glared at Archer. The captain pushed a button allowing him to walk through the forcefield. "You have endangered several crewmembers welfare, captured and critically injured my senior officers! You tried to destroy this ship!"

The admiral smiled politely and looked at Archer's fingers around his throat.

"Are you aware, captain, that you are threatening a highly appointed admiral for an act that could be declared one of war?" He returned chilly.

The captain did not however respond exactly as one of his own captains would instead Archer's ice-cold eyes glared at him and the grip tightened for a moment before releasing him.

"I am fully aware admiral, let me ask you a question. Are you fully aware that you will be charged for attempted murder on my Chief tactical officer/ armoury officer and also indirectly my Chief engineer? And...for conspiracy against your own government."

"That is absolutely ridiculous!"

"Is it? I have you and chancellor Ajin on tape." Archer smiled satisfactory.

"But don't worry, I will personally see that it gets in the right hands."

The admiral just stared at him. "How did you..."

"Oh my communications officer is very skilled. So I ask you one last question, what the hell is going on down there?"

"I am surprised that your skilled officers couldn't make that out." He answered innocently.

"Don't give me that crap!" Archer had to restrain himself from killing the gleeful alien in front of him.

"We are storing an alloy for the purpose of our own survival, it is to be used in warfare and is therefor classified."

"Yeah a couple of days ago I might have bought that."

"Perhaps you could enlighten me, captain?"

"Why is the complex heavily shielded and top secret if you have nothing to hide?"

"But I just told you that we do, the alloy must not fall into enemy hands."

"The alloy ,admiral, is useless and you know it!" Archer grabbed him by the collar and pushed him down on the floor.

"Your arrogant little..."

"Captain to the bridge!"

"I believe they are calling for you." Archer unwillingly released his grip.

"Let me make one thing very clear for you, I will find out sooner or later and when I do, you will regret this!" He exited the cell and leaned on the wall.

"Captain please report to the bridge!"

He banged his hand on the wall console. "I am on my way!"

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Captain Archer you have violated our agreement!"

"Spare me chancellor!"

"We demand that you release admiral Tann immediately or we will destroy you."

Archer frowned and folded his arms waiting for the chancellor to continue.

"The destruction of the Ta'Inn and Ta'Lann was a criminal act, you will be seized and sentenced to death!"

"Like you sentenced my officers to death chancellor?"

"How could you even accuse me for such a criminal act, we are a civilized people!"

Archer nodded at Hoshi who started pushing buttons. "Maybe you recognise my communications officer?"

"Ready sir."

Archer turned back his gaze at the screen. "Listen carefully now chancellor."

"_Why so bothered chancellor, you have nothing to do with this. At least not officially." _

"_I want the Enterprise in custody by midnight admiral." _

"_Why the sudden change of interest?" _

"_The body has not been found"_

Archer nodded at Hoshi to cut the recording. The chancellor swallowed hard, he had been caught, after all these years of liberty. He could hear some of his stab mumbling behind him. It was time, he had nothing to lose anymore, he would be sentenced to a life time in prison or worse.

"Captain..." He smiled diabolically. "...falsification of a higher politician speech is a serious matter."

Archer returned the smile. "We are not obliged to your laws entirely as I am sure that you are aware of. Besides you attacked a harmless science vessel without reason."

"Science vessel, harmless science vessel! She is equipped with bow and stern phaser cannons and carries a vast supply of photontorpedoes plus the fact that she is very manoeuvrable."

Archer frowned, then took his time to gently place himself in the captain's chair.

"Interesting chancellor, we usually don't give such detailed information to other species."

Ajin smiled sheepishly. "Your armoury officer was very proud of the complement."

"Lieutenant Reed would never willingly hand out that kind of information. And one more thing, we will not surrender, if you get anywhere near the Enterprise..."

"Is that a threat captain?"

"Merely a fact chancellor."

The transmission was cut. T'Pol glanced up from her scanner. Archer met her gaze.

"Anything?"

"He was sending from the office therefore he could not have known that we beamed onboard the admiral he had not been in recent contact with the military complex."

The captain nodded. "Keep scanning I need answers, I will be in sickbay."

-----

**Enterprise, sickbay**

"Commander Tucker is sedated and breathes artificially, his crushed chest needs to be out of necessary pressure. I have also given him minerals to strengthen the skeleton mixed with a reproductive bone structure formula from the Xindi but much is up to his own healing capacity. The projectile has been removed, unfortunately he has lost a lot of blood in the process. It also damaged his left lung quite bad, I am letting my Denobulan cloth snail work. He is in a critical condition and the light concussion doesn't make it any better I am afraid. Ensign Martin is sitting beside him all the time to monitor any changes as small they may be."

"Is he going to..."

"I cannot say captain but the chances are small for survival."

Archer took a deep breath. "And Malcolm?"

Phlox smiled a little. "Well he has lost a significant amount of blood, there is a fracture on the frontal lobe, the shoulder wound had been treated, then there is the massive internal bleeding, his lungs was quickly filling with blood when he was beamed onboard and if I don't stop the bleeding properly he is going to die." Phlox said sadly.

"Wait a minute what do you mean treated?"

"It seems that someone was on the lieutenants side. Maybe that person could give us the information that we need."

Archer nodded at Malcolm. "I need to talk to him."

Phlox's bright blue eyes displayed sadness and understanding still he didn't make a move.

"I cannot do that captain, I am sorry."

"Cannot or will not!" Archer demanded.

The doctor took a deep breath. "Lieutenant Reed is in a considerable amount of pain even with all the neuro-suppresses and his body is fighting hard right now."

"Phlox." Archer asked in much calmer manner. "Is Malcolm in grave danger?"

"For the moment the condition is critical but I promise that as soon as it is possible you can have a word with him."

"Time is not on our side I am afraid. The admiral refuses to admit anything." Archer sighed. "What about the chancellor?" Phlox said softly.

"We might be near a break through there but it's not going to be easy."

Phlox smiled slightly. "Good luck captain."

"Thanks I will need it."

-----

**the Complex, command centre**

"There is someone on a secure channel." Heza quickly opened the link.

"Heza." The chancellor wheezed.

"Sir." He bowed his head slightly. "We have lost the human commander."

"That's not the only thing that you have lost you idiot! Lieutenant Reed and admiral Tann are onboard the ship too!"

"No, the other human died I saw it."

"I don't have time for this you infant, he is not dead. I suggest that you take proper actions."

"You have seen what she did to the Ta'Lann and the Ta'Inn, he protested."

"The Enterprise is a scientific explorer vessel, seize her and let her patrol our borders while we..."

Heza stared confusingly at the black screen.

"Report!" He shouted to a nearby command centre officer.

"Something is blocking the signal lieutenant!"

"Activate the Codonian energy beam."

"Belay that!"

Heza spun around on his heals standing face to face with captain T'Cey.

"The command central is out of your area maybe you need to refresh your memory?"

"Captain I demand you to..."

"You do not demand anything lieutenant Heza, I am the senior officer here!"

Heza turned around as to leave. "Of course captain you are the senior officer."

He quickly turned around again firing his weapon, hitting T'Cey hard in the chest.

"But." Heza continued. "You are not fit for duty."

He glanced around in the room at shocked command central officers.

"Is there anyone in here that wants to question my orders!? Good."

He hit the communication console. "Condition alert, all security personal report to your stations. I am hereby following admiral Tann's personal orders and wishes of chancellor Ajin. We are to seize command over the Enterprise and use her in the colonising project." He glanced in the direction of the captain.

"Chief Medical officer report to the command centre."

-----

To be continued


	13. The Cappa'Lan

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise_

_I hope you like the next chapter : )_

_Oh and this is long..._

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter XII****I**

_The Cappa'Lann_

-----

**Enterprise, the bridge**

"Captain another battlecruiser."

"I see it Travis, all stop."

"Captain?" T'Pol questioned.

"All stop ensign."

"All stop."

"Cut the power on everything except main phasers."

"Captain may I remind you that we are on emergency backup, it may not come online again."

He took a deep breath. "I know T'Pol."

"They are on an intercept course." Travis reported.

"Let's see if how clever this one is."

"Cappa'Lann to U.S.S Enterprise prepare to be boarded."

"Shall I open hailing frequencies?"

"Not yet Hoshi."

"They are approaching the starboard docking hatch." Travis said alerted.

"Sir, they are opening fire!" Lieutenant Hogan shouted.

Archer stared at the approaching torpedo through the main screen.

"Sir, the forward shields, they are not going to make it!"

In a moment of crisis it is said that time slows and that millions of fragments of your life are displayed on your mind. That was only partly true, the time had stopped but the only image Archer saw was the destructive force of a torpedo. The ceiling cracked, pieces of titanium swirled around them as if caught by a tornado, a bright light engulfed them and then everything went deadly quiet. The air rushed through the fractures on the hull.

"Captain! Take my hand!"

"Trip!" He desperately clutched his hand.

"Phlox said the chances were small!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your survival!"

Trip smiled then he became deadly serious. "Listen to me, our suspicions where right the alloy was just a decoy, they are planning an attack on their twin world."

"That doesn't make any sense Trip, why engaging us in a battle and waist their resources?" "Because we discovered a widely spread corruption." Trip watched the cracks in the walls grow bigger, they didn't have enough time.

"You have to go now sir."

"Go where?" Archer asked confused.

"Trip!" He tried to hold on to him but he was not there anymore.

"Sir!" Travis shouted over the klaxons and whistling sounds caused by flooding vacuum.

T'Pol crawled towards the turbolift, it was only Travis and himself left.

"We have to abandon the bridge! Come sir!"

They crawled slowly towards the others, the lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. Hogan and T'Pol used all their powers to close the doors. "Sealing of the area! It's going to buckle!" Hogan shouted as Travis and Archer climbed through.

"We have to get away from here now!" T'Pol shouted.

"The auxiliary bridge!" Hoshi said sitting down.

"Damage reports." Archer wheezed lying on the floor.

"I don't know how bad." T'Pol said cautiously.

"Are everyone all right?" Hogan asked leaning against the wall.

"Do I still have my arms and legs?"

"So it seems." Hogan nodded.

"Then I will be all right." Travis replied.

"They must be onboard by now."

"Don't lose hope just yet Hoshi." Travis said patting her shoulder gently.

"Damn the admiral!" Archer said furiously turning towards Hoshi.

"The communication system does it still work?"

-----

**Enterprise, sickbay**

"What happened!?" Phlox shouted over the noise.

Liz crawled from the floor.

"A detonation of a torpedo." Came a low raspy reply from the nearest biobed.

"Lieutenant Reed!" Phlox just stared at him for a moment.

Liz pushed the nearest communication panel. "Sickbay to bridge."

There was no reply.

"The communication system might be off-line." Phlox suggested.

"Sickbay to engineering." Liz tried.

"Hess here...torp...impact...shields down...bridge."

"There is too much interference." Phlox shouted. "Where is captain Archer?"

"Phlox..." Liz said her hair rising from the back of her neck.

"...according to the external sensors..." Her voice faltered as a picture of the upper saucer section was displayed.

"No wonder no one answered." Phlox mumbled obviously in chock.

"No!" She steadied herself against the wall.

The doors to sickbay suddenly opened as one of the security officers limped in.

"Ensign Russo what is going on!?" Phlox said trying to shake away the picture he had just seen. "They never stop coming. We managed to stop the first parties but some of them spread. We are being boarded and taking heavy damage, we barely have enough power to keep the most vital systems online but even so the damage to the primary systems are extensive."

"Are you in command now?" Liz suddenly asked.

"No, the captain and the others..."

"Didn't you hear the explosion? They are all gone."

"No, they are trying to keep the emergency systems online in the auxiliary bridge."

Ensign Cutler suddenly laughed, relief washing all over her.

-----

**Enterprise, auxiliary bridge**

"Navigation?"

"Barely." Travis acknowledged.

"Propulsion?"

"One of the nacelles have ruptured, sub-light speed only sir." T'Pol said.

"Weapons?"

Hogan's fingers danced over the console. "We have two active torpedoes lying in the forward tubes and the starboard cannon seems operable."

"What about phasers?"

"The explosion on A-deck damaged most of the conduits maybe there is enough flow to get them up in ten percent."

"That will have to do." Archer turned to his communications officer.

"Hoshi, internal and external sensors?"

"Both operative but the backup power reserve has been damaged I don't know how long till we run out of power to operate them."

"The primary systems must be repaired fast." T'Pol confirmed.

"What is the situation with the boarding parties?" Archer asked gathering his thoughts.

"I have managed to localise 40 tenndarian biosigns onboard but only 20 is in action." T'Pol said.

"Casualties on our side?"

"I don't know we are out of contact with sickbay, there is massive interference on ship wide communications." Hoshi said while trying to connect with the auxiliary systems.

"The stun grenades must be finished by now." Hogan said suddenly.

"That means a lot of casualties." He continued.

Archer nodded applying pressure to his head wound, the blood trickled down his forehead. Hoshi was immediately at his side with a new medkit.

"Michael, see if you can re-line the cannon towards the Cappa'Lann."

"Give it a minute sir."

"Travis, activate the screen, display the starboard docking hatch."

"There sir."

-----

**the Complex, command centre**

Heza smiled in satisfaction as the torpedo ripped the saucer section open. Enterprise lay still looking like a crippled ship who had seen her best days, he was surprised that she actually held together. The Cappa'Lann had docked and there would not be long until the starship was to fall into their possession.

T'ela gasped at the sight but said nothing, he had no saying in the matter and the fact that T'Cey was badly injured didn't exactly make his position any more comfortable. He had never really liked Heza or any of the guards and upon seeing the Enterprise officer he had despised them. Still the ship belonged to an enemy, an enemy which had fired on the complex and now kidnapped the admiral. At least that was the official version of it.

He didn't exactly know what to believe in. He sensed somehow that it was lieutenant Reed who had spoken the truth or perhaps he wanted it to be so, so badly that he had chosen not to see clearly. What was the truth? That the alloy was important and that the people of the twin planet would take control over them one day and enslave them all? No, he refused to believe it. He had once been on Tennaite and there where no friendlier place in the galaxy. And what did all the friendly explorer vessels do with the alloy when they visited?

T'Cey was his commanding officer in this project but also engaged in the secret orders from chancellor Drara, to find the truth behind the complex. Maybe this was the breaking point, that moment in time in which he had to expose himself to get help from the outside. There was another thing, why did chancellor Ajin want the body of Enterprise's Chief tactical officer? Information that he had come across? Judging by the ship those people where very skilled and their tactical knowledge went beyond there own. A voice echoed in his mind.

"_I am the Chief tactical/armoury- and security officer onboard the Enterprise." "Don't you ever wonder what is going on behind closed doors?"_

"Yes I do."

Heza glared in his direction. "Did you say something doctor?"

"I believe captain T'Cey is in a very bad shape and I need permission to take him to the medical bay." He glared at the guard as he continued.

"Lieutenant Heza I will personally report this _incident_ further."

"You wouldn't."

"Why not are you going to shoot me too? Or perhaps push me off a cliff?"

Heza's face seemed to tense for a moment but nothing more.

"It is not safe for you to work alone in the medical bay doctor, there will be two guards present, in case anyone tries anything."

-----

**Enterprise, near the brig**

Cole awaited the right moment and pulled the trigger, two tenndarians fell heavily to the floor. She waved at two other MACOs hiding behind a fallen bulkhead and they moved towards the brig. Ensign Russo had reported in with the auxiliary bridge and it was crucial that the boarding parties where neutralised as soon as possible.

It was in times like this that she missed Major Hayes presence, his skills and tactics but he had been dead for months and this was her responsibility now as his second in command lay injured on F-deck. They hadn't had time to move their casualties to sickbay, they where about to lose the battle that way as the tactical senior officer would say. He and Major Hayes had respected each other but neither of them had wanted to admit that. She had come to like Lieutenant Reed and she wished he was with them in this battle.

She moved mechanically towards the section in which the admiral sat, anger of the cause of all this steamed from her, he was not to leave this ship as long as the MACOs where onboard and up for a fight. She threw the last stun grenade towards five fully armed tenndarians and fell back.

-----

**Enterprise, auxiliary bridge**

"We seem to have the upper hand now sir." Travis reported.

"Security officers are placed at the hatch, no one is coming through that way anymore. And the MACOs are giving them hell." Michael Hogan reported with a wry smile.

Archer nodded, he was glad that they had stayed onboard till Enterprise would be in for a check-up next month.

"What about transporters?"

"Negative it seems they are inoperable." The vulcan said looking up from her instruments. "Inoperable?" Archer questioned.

"The Cappa'Lann was probably going to be their pride."

"I am afraid you lost me there, T'Pol?"

"She was taken out of spacedock in a hurry, she is not ready to sail any crusades around their borders."

"What about the prisoner?"

"Most of the MACOs still standing up are in that section. They are armed to the teeth and very provoked." Hogan reported.

"Armed to the teeth, ugh, seems that Major Hayes and Malcolm shared some believes." Travis said.

"The cannon is re-lined captain." Hogan said.

"Have they detected it?"

"Negative captain, they appear to be fixed on seize control of the Enterprise by the boarding parties."

"Good, that gives us the upper hand." Archer said.

"I suggest that you fire on their main weapons array just below their bridge." T'Pol said.

Archer smiled. "I see, that would definitely stir the nest."

He turned to Michael Hogan. "Fire on my mark lieutenant. Mark."

Archer turned to face him. "I said mark Hogan."

"And I pushed the button sir."

"All systems are starting to shut down!" T'Pol stated.

"Redirect all available backup to the weapons, do it now!" Archer returned.

"I have contact!" Hogan acknowledged.

"Fire!"

The explosion following rocked the Enterprise and the hull shrieked in protest but she was still in one piece. Archer watched as the Cappa'Lann's main weapons where torn away from the hull, smaller explosions went around the main phaser tubules around her saucer section.

"That will give them something else to think about for a while." He pushed the communications button.

"Archer to the brig."

"Cole here sir."

"Status report."

"The section has been cleared, the prisoner is in his cell and the area is secured."

"Good." Archer out.

-----

**Enterprise, the brig**

"You will never get away with this! Do you know what actions that is going to be taken against you?" Admiral Tann shouted furiously.

"I've got the picture." Amanda Cole replayed calmly.

"Your captain is sentencing you all to death!"

"My captain, admiral, did not start all this! You did by trying to kill my commanding officer!" She said angrily.

"Why does a science vessel carry armed troops and why are you taking orders from scientists?" Cole turned and stood face to face with the admiral.

"On the second matter, lieutenant Reed would blow your head off if he had heard you calling him a science officer and when it comes to the first, that's none of your business!"

-----

**the Complex, infirmary**

T'Cey desperately grabbed the doctors hand.

"Relax captain, I am going to give you something."

He met the dark-brown eyes of his senior officer, then he quickly glanced around the room, careful not to call on the guards attention. He slid a small hand-phaser under T'Cey's palm. One of the guards suddenly approached the bed that the captain was resting on, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Is there a problem?" T'ela asked innocently.

"You may never know until it's too late."

"Exactly." He said placing the hypodermic needle in the guards neck.

The other guard aimed his riffle, the finger on the trigger.

"I wouldn't do..." Then he fell to the ground.

"Neither would I." T'Cey replied, the hand-phaser still in hand.

"I wasn't sure that you would understand my intentions." The doctor said relieved.

"It was quite obvious but is has most likely alerted lieutenant Heza by now and he would undoubtedly send another patrol." T'Cey glanced up on his friend before speaking again.

"T'ela, there is nowhere to go. No one can get us out of here, not even chancellor Drara."

T'ela gave him a painkiller and attached another bandage.

"Someone can."

"The ship?" He questioned.

T'ela nodded. "The Enterprise."

-----

**Enterprise, sickbay**

A team of engineers quickly ran through the doors as Phlox looked up. He watched the bioboards over Trip and Malcolm whenever he could due to the stream of injured MACOs and security officers dropping in. Liz and Martin helped out as much as they could. Ensign Russo was back in sickbay seeing to his leg, he stopped momentarily looking at his commanding officer. "Come on sir, we need you out there." Then he turned to Phlox.

"He will be all right wont he? They will both be?" He asked.

Phlox serious manner made him uncomfortable.

"It is slowly going in the right direction but there is a long way." He concurred.

Russo nodded slightly and turned to leave. Phlox gently picked up a hypo and injected it into lieutenant Reed's bloodstream. Liz looked at him.

"I don't like it anymore than you do but I promised the captain."

Dull, grey eyes searched the surrounding for something familiar, in an ironic way it was, he was in sickbay.

"I had hoped...this was all...part of a nightmare." He managed.

"Do you have nightmares involving me lieutenant?"

A weak smile danced on white lips. "I think you know what I mean."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I am dying."

"Do you remember what a positive attitude is?"

"It's not easy when it feels like your lungs are going to explode, that your head has been overrun by a starship and that your limbs are numb."

"Aren't you _fine_ lieutenant?" Phlox asked innocently.

"If I was I wouldn't be here." He whined.

"You know Mr. Reed I believe that concussion of yours is a bit more severe than I first anticipated." He moved over to the communications panel.

"Phlox to auxiliary bridge."

"Go ahead doctor."

"Captain I have someone here that..."

"Malcolm?"

"Yes."

"I will be right there."

_Seconds later_.

"Malcolm?" He turned to Phlox who answered his unspoken question.

"He is stable for now." Phlox acknowledged moving over to monitor Trip.

"How are you feeling?"

"I am tired...of that question already."

Archer smiled. "Malcolm what is this all about?"

"You must have spoken to lieutenant Nama by now."

"He and some of the other engineers had a memory gap." Archer acknowledged.

"Yes, they claimed to have taken a stroll in the woods but had no explanation of their torn uniforms."

"Yes Travis and Hoshi told me what happened."

Malcolm tensed. "Are they okay?"

"Yes they managed a lot better than you two did." Archer squeezed his good shoulder.

He relaxed a bit at the statement.

"What happened after you had split up?"

"We managed to access an information panel and Hoshi recently taught me how to make a primitive translation with the aid of a portal translator. We probably gained classified information, we found a very detailed schematic over Enterprise's weapons and tactical systems."

"So that's why he knew so much." Archer mumbled.

"Who?" Malcolm asked rather confused.

"I will fill you in later."

He nodded and continued. "There where schematics on tactical systems and cloaks from various vessels in their data-bank. Trip reasoned that they were trying to recreate the most efficient systems."

"Into a prototype?"

"Possible." Malcolm concurred.

"The Cappa'Lann." Archer said suddenly smiling as if he had solved the worlds biggest mystery.

This time Malcolm didn't even bother to ask.

"But why, there are no hostile races anywhere near this system?" Archer turned serious again.

"Captain I think it has something to do with their twin planet."

"The Tennaite?"

"Before we where able to access anything more several alarms turned on..."

The monitors suddenly beeped and Phlox instantly reappeared at his side.

"I believe the time is up captain." Phlox said sternly.

"Two minutes Phlox." Archer returned.

He moved to face Malcolm again, who had closed his eyes. "Malcolm?"

He opened his eyes slowly.

"What really happened to you?"

"We exited the building there where guards all over the place and we ran but they surrounded us. Then it all happened so fast..."

"Lieutenant." Phlox began but Archer waved a finger at him.

"...they shot me and I saw Trip tumbling down with four guards on top of him. I...had no choice but to try and get help. I reached a dead end."

"The step cliff?"

"How did you..."

The captain put a hand on his good shoulder again.

Malcolm continued. "I thought I was dead but then a military doctor hauled me up and began to ask me questions. He took me back to the building, then its a bit cloudy I am afraid. Escaping from them I was looking for Trip, I knew he had to be there somewhere. I ran into the admiral." Malcolm suddenly laughed but was effectively stopped by sharp pain.

"He tried to...kill me." He closed his eyes, he was no longer conscious.

"Malcolm?" Archer asked gently.

Phlox looked troubled. "I don't think you are aware of how critical his condition is. Go now captain."

-----

**the Complex, near the transporter **

The corridor outside was deserted, T'ela half dragged T'Cey with him. One of the transporter pads lay nearby but it was along shot, they couldn't be used when the cloak was on and therefore they where only designed for emergency evacuation. Still no one followed them, this wasn't like Heza. Perhaps the boarding of the Enterprise didn't go as smoothly as planned. They had taken out the Cappa'Lann which was not to leave the dock for another month.

Gently placing T'Cey against the wall to lean on he forced the door open, the hand-phaser ready. But as he had suspected the room was empty. Several lamps blinked on the main console, the forcefield had increased in strength, ten percent more and the transporter would be inoperable.

"Captain, you have got to help me! How can I target the Enterprise?"

"Search her co-ordinates!"

Transporting had not been necessary for his duties as a doctor and was therefore not familiar to him. T'Cey leaned heavily on the main console.

"I have a lock."

"You are aware doctor that there is a strong possibility we may not reach her?"

"What's the alternative? To be eliminated by the guards? Get on the platform!"

-----

**Enterprise, auxiliary bridge **

"Captain! They are making another attempt to board us!" Hogan said.

"They have managed to break through the security at the hatch, we are unable to communicate with the security in that area." T'Pol stated.

"Sir!..." Travis shouted. "...someone is beaming onboard."

"T'Pol I thought you said that their transporters where inoperable?"

"They still are, it is coming from the military complex."

Archer turned to Hogan. "Can you stop it!?"

"No the shielding of the frontal saucer section is gone."

Archer grabbed a phaser and the junior tactical officer quickly followed.

"Captain!" T'Pol protested.

"Noted sub-commander."

-----

**Enterprise, section 19, B-deck**

T'Cey fell to the deck. T'ela was quickly at his side, searching for his pulse and checking his vital signs.

"You are going to be all right."

"I had appreciated if you told me the truth." T'Cey said his eyes unfocused.

"The truth is, I don't know if any of us survives this." He took in the battle scared surroundings, it was a complete mess.

"Neither do I."

T'ela turned around looking right into a phaser. The uniform was the same as lieutenant Reed's except for the yellow shoulder bands and the two more dots on his shoulder.

"Are you the captain of this vessel?"

The man had a nasty head wound and the dusty uniform showed signs of battle.

"Yes, of what's left of her thanks to you."

"Captain..."

"Archer." He filled in.

"Captain Archer I am T'ela Chief Medical Officer of..." For a moment he thought he saw a change in mood.

"You helped my Chief tactical officer?"

"I am sorry I didn't dare to patch him up more, is he alive?"

Hogan gave the captain a stern look.

"Yes, both lieutenant Reed and commander Tucker are alive...for now." Archer looked behind T'ela at the captain lying on the floor.

"Perhaps it would be wise to continue this in sickbay?"

T'ela nodded.

-----

**Enterprise, sickbay**

Archer squeezed himself in through the damaged door.

"There has been no change I am afraid." Phlox said upon seeing him.

He was about to say something more when Hogan came dragging on a tenndarian in a military uniform with another on his tail.

"Doctor Phlox, this is doctor T'ela."

"I am pleased to meet you, my friend and captain, T'Cey needs medical assistance immediately." Phlox looked around, sickbay was not exactly empty but he made room on a biobed near Malcolm. Hogan and Archer gently placed the captain on it. T'ela stopped looking at lieutenant Reed. Archer suddenly stood next to him.

"You'd better have a good explanation for all this."

"I...was sent to look for a dead body."

"My Chief of security has already filled me in on that."

"Oh, we have had conspiracy and corruption far up in the parliament and military for quite some time. When chancellor Drara gained knowledge about a super secret military complex out in the woods, he managed to sneak in some of his most trusted people."

"You and your senior officer?"

"We where more people from the beginning. Admiral Tann must have suspected some of us. Chancellor Ajin watched everything that Drara did to make sure that the base was not exposed." "Since you are here he didn't succeed." Archer said.

"There has been some propaganda from the high parliament that the Tennaites are planning to take our world and enslave us but I have been to Tennaite and there is no friendlier race in light-years. They are a very enlightened people cautious about their environment and people."

"Our scans of your sea showed massive affection from your industries."

"Yes we are destroying our own world and now the government wants to colonize Tennaite for the purpose of good living to our people. Some of us call it the paradise."

"But why aren't you keeping an open dialogue?"

"The politicians are too proud to negotiate for their own survival, they would rather force themselves upon Tennaite. It was your armoury officer that encouraged me to fulfil my assignment and take up the necessary courage to do it. I had long closed my eyes when the guards took care of unwanted visitors but I could no longer do that. Together with the proof that you have assembled, and your officers down on the planet we could seize the corruption."

Archer glanced at him. "This is all very interesting but I have bumped into people claiming to talk about the truth before doctor."

T'ela swallowed. Did the captain not believe him?

Phlox moved over from T'Cey to commander Tucker.

"How is he?" Both Archer and T'ela said at the same time.

"Captain T'Cey is going to be all right but he needs a couple of days to rest. When it comes to commander Tucker I am not that positive. The ribcage is healing nicely and I will be able to remove him from the breathing machine in an hour but he is going to be away for at least a month assuming that everything goes well and that he suffers no setbacks."

Phlox continued. "The positive news though is that his body is responding well to the treatment and I'd say the chance of survival are up to 60 percent."

"Tell me if he wakes up, Archer said and exited sickbay."

When Archer first had realised that it wasn't Trip on the bridge he had immediately feared that one of his best friends had died but speaking with Phlox later that wasn't the case.

T'ela watched him leave and turned to Phlox.

"Doctor, your captain does not seem to believe us."

Phlox smiled slightly at him.

"Captain Archer will make the right decision and I am sure he believes you." He said comforting. Amanda Cole suddenly appeared at the door dragging her senior MACO officer. Phlox hurried to them while T'ela just stared at her uniform. The biobeds where long full so they gently eased him down on a temporary bed.

"Doctor T'ela I might need your assistance."

"I was told this was a research vessel."

"It is designed that way but the times required military assistance, we won our battle but we lost a lot of great people on the way."

"Seems we aren't the only ones having problem." T'ela replied sadly while applying pressure to the MACO's wound.

Phlox gently placed on of his Denobulan blood worms on it and stood back. Gun fire could be distantly heard out in the corridor.

"What is happening?"

"You are breaking through our defences." Phlox eyed him sternly.

T'ela cast a glance at T'Cey who still wasn't conscious due to the drugs that he had been given and then back to Phlox.

"I need to speak to your captain!"

Phlox nodded reaching for the communications button.

"Phlox to auxiliary bridge."

"Arch...ere."

"Our guests...see...you. Urg..."

Archer banged his fist against the console. "What is he saying?"

"Can't make it much better, the damage to the system is too extensive." Hoshi said.

"Phlox repeat!"

" ...Guests...talk to you urgently!"

"Hogan go and get him."

"Yes sir."

-----

**Enterprise, en route to auxiliary bridge**

Hogan cautiously turned around the last corner in order to reach the turbolift with T'ela right behind.

"Are you sure?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes."

They ran through the corridor of the deck leading up to the auxiliary bridge. But Hogan didn't see the danger presented. The projectile hit him hard in the shoulder and he fell to the ground. T'ela ducked behind him carefully checking the wound.

"Get away from here!" Hogan shouted.

T'ela grabbed his phaser trying to fight them off.

"Second to the left, go!"

The doctor managed to hit the other Tenndarian, hauling Hogan up he made his way towards the captain.

"I am not leaving you here lieutenant."

-----

**Enterprise, auxiliary bridge**

Travis and Archer covered them as they ducked into the room.

"What happened?" Archer demanded looking directly at the doctor.

Instead it was Hogan who answered.

"They are reaching further into our defence, those little bastards."

"Captain I need to contact the Cappa'Lann."

"The final blow?" Archer questioned.

"There are officers on her that are on our side."

"What makes you say that?" Archer said unbelievingly.

"We crippled your ship, even destroyed the other."

"Did you have any choice?" T'ela asked sincerely.

"No." Archer replayed sadly.

"Hail her." T'ela said once again.

Archer nodded at ensign Sato. "Hoshi?"

"They are not responding."

"Keep trying."

"I have a contact."

"On screen."

"Have you changed your mind, captain?" A smiling Tenndarian captain asked.

"Perhaps." Archer said slowly.

Other Tenndarian officers stood in the background.

Jonathan Archer nodded at the Tenndarian doctor.

"Thy crak kakacha kommo aste Esirpretne! Konka mente Nija."

One of the officers in the background nodded slightly as another approached their captain. Archer looked at Hoshi for translation but she just shook her head. The Tenndarian captain frowned glancing at Archer.

"Interesting little charade you made there but I am sorry to disappoint you."

"I beg you pardon?"

He laughed. "Your so called Tenndarian friend is a fraud but I will give you 30 minutes for our entertainment."

The screen went black only to be replaced by the image of Cappa'Lann. Furious Archer turned to T'ela.

"What the..."

"Trust me the captain understands as much as you do but some of his officers will soon switch side."

Hoshi looked at him curiously. "You talked about Enterprise and Ajin."

He nodded. "I spoke in a code known only by high ranking officers supporting chancellor Drara. It is somewhat...hard to explain but basically I said that Enterprise have the necessary information, the cover is blown, Ajin is exposed."

"Captain!" Travis said eagerly. "Troops are withdrawing to the docking hatch."

Archer watched T'ela with newly gained respect. T'Pol scanned the area near their position. "There are no Tenndarians in the near vicinity." She said.

"Good, any change onboard the Cappa'Lann?"

"Their forward twin phasers are reaching critical levels." Hogan said leaning in over the vulcan's shoulder, supported by T'ela.

"They are powering them up?" Archer wondered.

"More likely they are overloading them." T'Pol raised an eyebrow as she answered.

-----

To be continued


	14. Fragile Bonding

**AN:**_I don't own anything related to Star Trek Enterprise_

_I hope you like the next chapter : )_

_I am really sorry for not updating regularly_

**------------------------------------------------**

**Chapter XVI**

_Fragile Bonding_

----------

**Cappa'Lann**

"Captain R'ata!"

He turned around starring into the pipe of a phaser rifle. His eyes narrowed, anger written all over his face.

"Security arrest the Commander!" He shouted but only a handful of the guards left onboard took a step forward and where easily overpowered.

"Captain R'ata I am hereby taking command of the Cappa'Lann in the name of Chancellor Drara."

R'ata glanced around the bridge all officers present carried a hand weapon there was no way to escape alive.

"Cappa'Lann to Enterprise"

"This is Enterprise."

"I am Commander D'enecca ,the Cappa'Lann stands under my command, all onboard forces will be withdrawn."

Archer glanced around the room with a faint smile on his lips.

"I believe I speak for everyone here when I say thank you."

D'enecca returned the smile and nodded. "I wish to come onboard and discuss this...situation." "Certainly Commander I will call in the MACO's."

The transmission was cut. Archer gave the Tenndarian doctor a short nod and indicated the door.

"This is sub-commander T'Pol, all security personal seize fire. I repeat all security personal seize fire the situation is under control."

-----

**Docking Port, starboard hatch**

Archer extended his arm as the Tenndarian military officer walked onboard.

"Commander D'enecca welcome onboard I am Captain Archer."

D'enecca quickly extended his arm and shared the earth custom of shaking hands.

"So this is the scientific explorer Enterprise."

"United Starship Enterprise." Archer corrected.

"I am amazed of the destruction she is able to do." He said meaning the seizure of the Ta'Inn and Ta'Lann.

"I am sorry but your people gave no other choice."

"I am not blaming you for protecting yourself in fact I would have done the same."

"Tell me what is the situation with Cappa'Lann?"

"She is completely seized by my people and will not pose any problem Captain."

Archer nodded, satisfied with the answer presented. Hogan and T'ela arrived.

"I am sorry I was not familiar with the decks." T'ela excused himself.

"Doctor T'ela." The Commander acknowledged.

"Commander." He returned.

"I trust you know what you are doing?"

"Completely sir."

Their ranks were equal but T'ela still felt the need of saying sir.

"Let's continue this discussion in sickbay." Archer gestured for them to follow.

-----

**Sickbay**

The room was crowded by injured people but Phlox had drawn the curtain around the three biobeds in the back of the room.

"Any change?"

"Slowly to the better Captain."

Phlox said before attending to another injured crewman limping through the door.

D'enecca looked around, there were so many injured and he felt sorry for them but at the same time he was amazed by their survival since three Tenndarian ships had engaged the Enterprise in battle. Archer opened up the curtain just enough for the three of them to pass. Trip, Malcolm and T'Cey lay all unconscious. T'ela turned to face Archer.

"Captain I believe it's time to tell you the reason for all this. Five years ago our scientists reached the conclusion that in another 15 years our planet would die, the pollution in the air would have reached so high levels that new born and old people would die from exposure unless something was done."

"Our people lacked the full range of technology and our government lacked the sufficient strength to make the people to realize the full potential of the situation. Most of them continued driving their miniships for work, they continued to weaken the planet by taking down more of the forest and warm their houses with radioactive sources."

"Radioactive sources?" Archer questioned.

"Each house have a little nuclei that powers up the heating." D'enecca filled in.

"How is that possible?"

"It is a refined method and not so bad for the health as you might think." T'ela finished.

"It is heavily shielded and it is enough to drive the system for at least a period of 50 years the problem is were to dump it. Anyway the government tried to gain people's attention but once again failed. Chancellor Ajin and a couple of his staff came to the conclusion that the planet was doomed, there was no hope of springing life again. They started to spread propaganda about how beautiful our twin planet was and how evil the inhabitants were. That they would destroy our planet while we fought to restore it."

T'ela paused taking a deep breath.

"Since the restrictions of travel no one has been allowed to go to Tennaite and the channels of trade and news has been cut off. Without exactly knowing the governments intentions and without the proper knowledge about Tennaite most people chose to believe chancellor Ajin's accusations. He gained a lot of power and for a year he secretly ran the military complex in the Caccadella forest without anyone's knowledge."

"Chancellor Drara feared that Ajin would set his plan of colonizing Tennaite into motion. He managed to set together an assault team from a secret section in the military to infiltrate the base, me included. We were ten, that figure is now reduced to three. During the four years that we have been present most unfortunate accidents has been occurring and we feared we had been exposed by our actions. However when Admiral T'ann seemed to believe that he had eliminated all of us connected to Chancellor Drara we stopped our secret transmissions 6 months ago in order to give him a false sense of security."

T'ela looked at D'enecca who continued.

"Before the transmissions where cut we gained enough information about the place to know that they were experimenting with an alloy on Chancellor Ajin's orders but we didn't understand because they didn't seem to make any progress. A lot of friendly races has passed our system during the years but most of them chose to visit Tennaite."

"The ones who visited us are being brought down to the most stable environmental zone on the planet near the Caccadella forest."

"The C'Della city?" Archer asked.

"Yes. Your people helped our people with the alloy modifications in the big research building near the city centre."

Archer nodded.

"Chancellor Drara had people everywhere in the vicinity of the building as other races visited but all they did was to modify and sometimes refine our technology for handling the alloy, then they left. It took us two years to understand that the alloy was useless. Chancellor Ajin's research officers claimed that they were making progress and he told the people that soon the Tenndarian's would come to the paradise. The chancellor knew that the alloy was useless so it was only a diversion from what he was really doing. We had been fooled and back at the beginning, we had learned nothing for three years. Our people reported from the complex but had not gained enough knowledge about it's purpose."

D'enecca glanced at T'ela who continued.

"There were times when people from other worlds came to us and managed to break through our defences, most of them got their short term memory erased and was sent back to the city. Two times they have managed to escape only to be eliminated by the head of security a mad man called Heza. It would later be explained their captain that they had dies in a very unfortunate accident and that they were still searching for the bodies. When four of your people entered the complex I thought that this was yet another target that had to eliminated."

"You knew about Hoshi and Travis too?" Archer questioned.

"Not at first. I heard the klaxon indicating that someone was inside. The Admiral was furious and this time he didn't want their memories erased, he wanted them dead."

"I learned that they had escaped and wondered what they had find that was so important that the Admiral was ready to kill for it. I heard a shot echoing in the corridor and when I arrived I was curious to know why Heza had left a badly injured in the corridor not alerting a doctor. I was told he was a spy and that he should not be cared for. I waited till they had left us alone, they had exposed Lieutenant T'ead and there would only be a matter of time until T'Cey or myself would be under investigation if we did anything out of the ordinary."

"Before he died he managed to say three words: Scan, ship, Cappa'Lann. I didn't understand. I couldn't contact any members outside the complex that shortly after T'ead's death if I wanted to stay alive. I later learned that Heza had taken a captive and wanted to torture him for information and that the other one was dead, I were to retreat his body and get rid of it."

"I think I understand." Archer said suddenly.

"Captain?" The doctor questioned.

"Trip and Malcolm found detailed information about the Enterprise's weapons system and several other types of weapons and cloaking devices from various ships. Ships that has been visiting your planet. They scanned them from the complex under Admiral Tann's supervision." "And the best improvements were to be installed into Cappa'Lann." D'enecca said. "Scan...ship...Enterprise...Cappa'Lann." T'ela repeated slowly.

"Yes it makes sense! All the enhancements to the ship that didn't make sense..."

"The assassination attempts are also making sense doctor." Archer said.

"Who would be better qualified to assess the situation than a Chief tactical officer and a Chief engineer."

The doctor looked at him as realisation hit him.

"Of course, he knew that Lt. Reed was your Chief tactical officer. Suddenly the Admiral's actions makes much more sense. It wasn't until he escaped that the Admiral really lost. He came down to the infirmary with four armed guards claiming that it was crucial that we found the Lieutenant." "And he did." Archer said. T'ela's eyes landed on Malcolm's still form.

"I have the Admiral in custody and that's where he is going to stay until all this is cleared up." Archer turned to D'ennecca.

"Commander could you unlock Cappa'Lann from the Enterprise? That way we won't be such an easy target."

"I will see to it but I wouldn't worry." He smiled.

"There are no battlecruisers left and the miniature class cruisers pose no threat."

-----

**The Complex**

"Sir!"

One of the guards came running into the command centre.

"Not now I am busy." Heza said, a satisfactory smile on his lips.

"The Chief medical officer and the Captain are gone sir!"

"What do you mean gone?"

"They must have used the transporter while the forcefield was weakened."

"Give the message to Captain R'ata." Heza said angrily.

"R'ata is no longer in command of the Cappa'Lann."

"Of course he is!"

"If that where the case Heza, would you care to explain why Cappa'Lann is releasing her docking clamps?" A senior member of the command centre stab asked.

The question was left unanswered as a communications officer started talking.

"A transmission from Enterprise to Cappa'Lann was picked up ten minutes ago."

"Why wasn't it displayed immediately!"

"We where unable to do so it had been scrambled."

Heza threw the officer out of the chair and placed himself in it.

"It's the resistance group, fire at the ships!"

-----

**Cappa'Lann**

"Sir, incoming torpedoes from the ground!"

"Use countermeasures and contact the Enterprise." D'enecca ordered as he grabbed the nearest chair.

"I have her on link sir."

"I need the co-ordinates for the complex, I am intending to deliver a present."

Archer smiled ruefully and nodded.

"Hogan transfer."

"Transfer complete sir."

"Good, fire."

The peace in the Caccadella area was suddenly disturbed by a burst of flames as a twin torpedo impacted in the centre of the ground floor.

-----

**Parliament of Tenndaria**

Chancellor Ajin watched the destructive force from the Cappa'Lann drilling itself through the complex. It was all about to come out. He had failed to eliminate all of Drara's men and there was no longer a point of return.He quickly packed a few things and disappeared.

Chancellor Drara smiled in satisfaction as the first broadcast came displaying the complex to all citizens of Tenndaria. The people were frantic, demanding an explanation to why Cappa'Lann attacked their own planet. The doors to his office suddenly opened.

"Chancellor someone named T'ela wishes to speak to you from the ship."

"I'll take it here."

"Doctor." He acknowledged. "Good work."

"I have had good help sir."

"Chancellor Drara I presume, I am Captain Archer of the starship Enterprise. We have all the details, is there a place where we could talk undisturbed?"

"Well I haven't had the honour of visiting you Captain."

"I am afraid the Enterprise is falling apart."

"After all she has been through I am surprised she is still holding together."

"If you insist chancellor but you must dock at the starboard hatch."

-------

One chapter to go. I am very happy that I have managed this far.

Thank you for bearing with me : )


	15. Recoveries

In a Cloudy State of Mind

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything

**Pairing:** This is a friendship story mostly Trip and Malcolm

_Well this is the last chapter.__ I really have to apologise for this long wait and I don't expect any reviews due to that but I want to say thank you to those who have been reading this : ) _

""""""""""

Chapter 15

_Recoveries _

""""""""""

**One week later**

**Parliament of Tenndaria**

Chancellor Drara moved in front of the camera knowing his image would be broadcast all over Tenndaria and he smiled. Everything was about to come out.

"People of Tenndaria can I have your attention please..."

""""""""""

**Elsewhere in the building**

Chancellor Ajin stopped in the corridor as an image of Drara was displayed on a monitor in front of him. Anger present in his features. Failure, it meant failure. A guard gave him a gentle push in the back wanting him to move on.

A group of old associates watched him as he walked by. He tried to shield himself from their view but his hands where tied together and he wore an orange shirt indicating that he was a prisoner. He sighed just praying this day would soon be over, even if it likely meant that he was to be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

""""""""""

**The Complex **

Commander D'enecca stood in the middle of the room dressed in a public military uniform and straightened his shoulders. "Admiral Tann I am hereby opening this hearing..."

""""""""""

**Enterprise's Sickbay**

"Ah come on Doc." Trip said annoyed. "I have been here for a week!"

Phlox smiled widely while putting his instrument away. "And you will be here for another week if you don't stop complaining."

"Look I have things to do in engineering."

"Which could easily be done by someone else since there is still a lot of Tenndarian engineers onboard to lend a hand."

Sighing heavily Trip lay down his head closing his eyes.

Phlox glanced up as movement caught his eyes. "And just where do you think you are going Lieutenant?"

"I just need to stretch my legs." He said innocently clenching his teeth trying to force the pain away.

Phlox moved over giving him a stern expression. "Lieutenant just because your mind is up to the challenge of walking out of here doesn't mean that your body is."

Malcolm briefly closed his eyes as Phlox gently steered him towards his bed.

"Rest and..." He pointed his finger at Trip. "...that goes for both of you. If I catch any of you sneaking away from here."

"Yeah yeah we got it Doc relax would you?" Trip said.

"You two are only going to make a full recovery in less than a month if you do as I say."

"Less than a month!" Malcolm whined as his head connected to the pillow.

"Well why don't we compromise..." Trip began.

"One more word Commander Tucker and you will be sedated." Phlox said sternly.

Malcolm smiled watching Trip's incredulous look.

"It is unfair that the Captain could go down to the planet without us." He said trying to explain their restlessness.

"He could do that because he didn't require bed rest Mr. Reed."

"Here we go again." Trip murmured.

Phlox gave him a look.

"All we are asking for is an open communication line so that we could hear what is being said." Malcolm said shifting Phlox's gaze from Trip.

Phlox smiled as he walked over to open a channel to Hoshi who would later establish a link with the Captain.

Malcolm turned to Trip as he whispered. "Leave it to the Tactical Officer."

""""""""""

**Parliament of Tenndaria **

"...thank you all for listening." Drara said finishing his speak to the people as Archer walked up to him.

"Captain it's good to see you."

"Very convincing speech Chancellor."

He nodded. "I hope so. I want this to be the end of corruption and the beginning of restoration on our world."

"I understand that you are to form a new government tomorrow?" Archer questioned.

"Yes finally and by this time tomorrow Chancellor Ajin and his people would be taken care of."

"Yes I heard the hearings had started." Captain Archer confirmed.

"Enough of the bad things." Drara said suddenly. "How are the repairs going?"

"I can't thank you enough for all your help, we are almost ready to break orbit."

Drara shrugged. "It is I who should thank you Captain, without your help this would never have been possible. However I am sad Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed couldn't join us today."

"Oh don't worry about them I have them on the link, they can hear everything that is being said."

Drara watched the communication device. "If that is the case I wish you both well gentlemen." "Thank you Chancellor." Archer could make out Trip's southern drawl over the link. "It is good to know they have been taken care of." A British accent floated over the link. Malcolm, Archer thought.

He was about to say something more when the door suddenly opened revealing a long thin figure. "Doctor T'ela." Archer said as Drara smiled.

Malcolm spoke over the communications device. "Thank you for all you have done Doctor."

"We are even Malcolm I would not have had the guts to go on with it if it hadn't been for you."

Drara spoke up. "Doctor T'ela is our new ambassador on Tennaite. The borders have been reopened and they have offered us environmental assistance to us."

"That is a good gesture." Archer said.

T'ela nodded. "In exchange for some advanced technologies."

"I take it you mean from other races?" Archer questioned.

T'ela nodded. "The technologies of the Enterprise will not be shared we will delete our knowledge about her from our database. Besides not much is left of the scanning system, the Cappa'Lann pretty much destroyed most of it." T'ela filled in.

"Captain?" Hoshi said over the link. "The last group of Tenndarian engineers are leaving Enterprise we are ready to go."

"Roger that I am heading for the Shuttlepod. Archer out."

He turned to Drara and T'ela one last time.

"We wish you a good journey Captain." Drara said.

""""""""""

A paper magazine lay on the ground, abused by the rain but still readable. On the front page was an article that caught Archer's eye. "_The Military Security Officer Heza is now declared dead after missing in action for almost a week. No one knows where he is but a relatively safe source states that he fell of a cliff..."_

Archer set his jaw and hastily moved on to the pod.

""""""""""

"Enterprise this is Shuttlepod One. I am leaving the surface."

"Understood Captain." Hoshi said smiling as she glanced upon the screen in front of her.

The Cappa'Lann lay just a couple of metres behind. "D'enecca will be escorting us out of their system."

Archer smiled. "So it was a friendly galaxy after all."

""""""""""

The end

I am going back to reading other stories in this category now, turns out that's what I do best.


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